Jackson, Miss. — The Mississippi State Department of Health's (MSDH) Opioid and Substance Use Program has reached a milestone: As of August 20, it has distributed more than 20,000 free individual naloxone kits throughout the state. Naloxone is a lifesaving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids including heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medications. As we acknowledge International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, MSDH is proud to share how we are taking action against this preventable cause of death.
“Our program is saving lives every day by making naloxone readily available to the people of Mississippi,” said Jon Hubanks, Director of the Opioid and Substance Use Program. “By increasing access to this lifesaving medication, we are breaking down barriers that often lead to tragic outcomes. Each kit we distribute not only protects someone from an opioid overdose but also reflects our commitment to the health, well-being and safety of everyone in Mississippi.”
Mississippi drug overdose deaths reached an all-time high of 787 deaths in 2021 and are beginning to decline due to prevention and linkage to care efforts. They were 2.5 times higher in 2023 than in 2018.
In December of 2022, MSDH began offering the free naloxone kits to address the opioid epidemic by making the medication easily available through an online request form. The kits are valued at about $50 each and made available through federal cooperative agreements.
If you or someone you know is at an increased risk for opioid overdose, you should carry naloxone and keep it at home. Naloxone has no negative side effects and will not harm someone if they are overdosing on drugs other than opioids.
Requesting a free kit is easy. You'll only need to watch a short training video and complete a survey at msdh.ms.gov/naloxone.
For more information about the kits, email naloxone@msdh.ms.gov. For more information about Mississippi's opioid epidemic, visit ODFree.org.
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Press Contact: MSDH Office of Communications, (601) 576-7667
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