Narcan, the nasal spray used to counteract an opioid overdose, is now available in the lobby of the Beech Street Center.
“This should be as widely available as an AED [automated external defibrillator] and as accessible when someone’s life is at risk,” said Belmont resident Leah Lesser.
Anyone who needs or wants to keep the life-saving drug on hand can stop in and pick some up, no questions asked. Health Director Wesley Chin said Narcan has been available from the town for some time.
“The state started distributing it for free in 2023,” he said.
Belmont began distributing it through interactions with people seeking COVID-19 or flu vaccines. It is also available outside the health department on the second floor of Town Hall. When available, people are picking it up and taking it with them.
“People are taking it,” Chin said. “We have no idea who is taking it, but they are.”
Lesser, who works at Emerson Hospital in Concord, saw in a news story that the Concord Public Library had made Narcan available to residents. She then emailed Chin, as well as Library Director Peter Struzziero and Police Chief James MacIsaac to explore the possibility of offering Narcan at the Beech Street Center.
As a result of those conversations, Narcan is now offered in the lobby of the Beech Street Center. In addition to Narcan, people can pick up test strips that will indicate the presence of fentanyl, the high-powered opioid that has been sold as fake Oxycontin pills or mixed with other narcotics, leading to overdose, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
“We are starting small,” Chin said. “There are a dozen two-packs there at a time, but we can order as much as we need from the state.”
The need is real. According to Fire Chief David DeStefano, the fire department has responded to 34 opioid overdoses since 2021.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], Narcan – naloxone – works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain and restores breathing in people experiencing an opioid overdose. It is most commonly given as a nasal spray.
Last year, Lesser took a course in administering Narcan at the Watertown Free Public Library. At the time, getting the drug was a time-consuming, complex, and sometimes expensive proposition, she said.
According to NIDA, Narcan is most effective when given quickly.
“I hope a lot of people go down to the library in town and pick it up to keep it handy,” she said.
According to Chin, the town is exploring ways to expand the Narcan distribution program to other town buildings in the future.
“We hope that eventually, it’s as widely available as the AEDs on town property,” he said.
Interested in Learning More?
The Belmont Fire Department is offering a free course that includes CPR certification, the proper administration of Narcan, and ways to control life-threatening bleeding.
The classroom session is Friday, May 31, from 8 a.m. to noon at Fire Headquarters on Trapelo Road. The online class must be completed before the in-person session.
For more information or to sign up, email fireadmin@belmont-ma.gov before May 17. The class is paid for with money from the Opioid Abatement Grant.
