The opioid overdose-reversing drug Narcan is now available at all Forsyth County Public Library branches.
Community members can request a kit at the help desk with no questions asked.
Also known as naloxone, Narcan is a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose within minutes.
Forsyth County also offers free Narcan at the public health department and at a vending machine at the detention center in downtown Winston-Salem.
Annie Vasquez, Forsyth County’s substance use service coordinator, says the expanded availability in recent years appears to have helped, and this new development will reach more rural areas.
“We track who uses Narcan on the scene of an overdose, and we can see that folks administering Narcan before first responders get there has gone up,” she says.
The initiative is being paid for with opioid settlement funds.
