MUNCIE, Ind.--- Opioid overdose is the leading cause of death among those aged 18 to 34 in the United States. Muncie Folk Collective, a non-profit in Muncie that focuses on harm reduction and mental health in the community, recognized this and wanted to make a change.
That need for change did not come without help. Overdose Lifeline Inc, another non-profit out of Indianapolis makes emergency overdose boxes filled with overdose reversal kits that will reverse the effects of an opioid overdose with the help of the drug Naloxone, or the brand name Narcan. This reversal is distributed in the nose.
Muncie Folk Collective collaborated with Overdose Lifeline Inc. to make 2 boxes come to Delaware county for those in need. Justin Phillips, the executive director for Overdose Lifeline, said the non-profit reached out to them for help and placed the boxes where they thought it was best for the community.
The first box is located at 1314 W 10th Street on the side of Avondale Community Church, and the other is in the Old West End neighborhood by Friends memorial church off Cherry Street.
Each emergency box contains an overdose reversal kit. Inside the kit are instructions on how to administer Narcan, and signs of recognizing an overdose. Narcan also helps reverse the effects of opioids that are laced with the drug fentanyl. After taking the drug inside, the law requires you to call 9-1-1.
“You want to call 911 for a couple of reasons, one being that you may need more Naloxone (Narcan). Sometimes it takes multiple doses and presumably, EMS will be coming with more. Number 2, opioids stay in your body longer than Naloxone, and the Naloxone can wear off and the opioids can reattach, and you can re overdose,” said Phillips.
Since having the boxes up and running early this year, Overdose Lifeline has seen that there is a need for the Muncie community to have this resource.
“Anecdotally what I’ve seen from the Muncie Folk Collective is that the box has been used a tremendous amount of time which means people needed it, and are so grateful for this resource.”
Anytime the box empties, there is a number in the box that you can call to have it re-filled. The boxes are checked periodically throughout the day to make sure they are always filled.
Anyone is eligible to visit the boxes if they need an overdose reversal kit. You can also request your dose of Naloxone for free by going on the Overdose Lifeline website at overdoselifeline.org.
For questions, comments or concerns, please contact Terra Konieczny at tbkonieczny@bsu.edu.
