The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis on Tuesday launched a 30-day NARCAN distribution effort in partnership with Americorps and B.A.S.I.C. (Black Alcohol/Drug Information Center).
Its goal is to distribute 200 vials of NARCAN per day for 30 days in areas where open drug use is prevalent. Narcan is the brand name for naloxone, an FDA-approved prescription medicine nasal spray that can block the effects of opioids, and that can reverse an overdose, according to drugfree.org.
AmeriCorps volunteers are assisting with canvassing and BASIC will provide education materials and treatment information.
The team will be out from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays in targeted neighborhoods.
“The recent spikes in opioid-related deaths are an indication that we cannot let up even in a pandemic,” said James Clark, Urban League Division of Public Safety and Community Response [PSCR] vice president.
“We are at war, and it will take more collaboration, more resources, and more focus on the ground to assist those who are suffering from addiction. This is a medical and community emergency.”
The Urban League’s Serving Our Streets team set up at a convenience market at St. Louis Avenue and North Kingshighway and provided NARAN, COVID-19 supplies, educational materials, food, and resource information for support programs.
The direct neighborhood engagement effort is focused on the “open-air” drug markets in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. PSCR urban engagement specialists and canvassers will visit these areas where drugs are used in plain sight.
The Division of Public Safety has focused on opioid hot spots in three St. Louis neighborhoods for over a year; every Tuesday and Thursday the team sets up a triage station offering food, clothing, hygiene items, health screenings, NARCAN, rehab transportation and referrals for other social services as requested by residents. This scaled up effort is in response to the recent spike in fentanyl deaths from overdosing.
“We have to come together as a community to develop more on demand strategies that take into account the environment,” said Oval Miller, BASIC CEO.
“This initiative is a good way to build the trust needed but once we build the trust, we have to be ready to provide treatment on demand. The window closes quickly,” said Miller.
Overdose deaths and homicides within the boundaries of the City of St. Louis are the highest in the state according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The rate of opioid overdose deaths among Black people in Missouri is third highest in the nation (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2020) with deaths in St. Louis City and County driving statewide rates. State data shows opioid-involved deaths among Black men increased 17%, and 47% in St. Louis County alone.
State data indicates 5,609 lives have been saved with NARCAN/Naloxone. There were 1,375 opioid overdose deaths in Missouri for 2020 and 4,207 non-fatal ER visits across the state due to opioid overdose in 2020. One in 54 deaths in Missouri in 2020 was due to opioid overdose.
