Kane Health Department Distributes Free Naloxone to End Overdose Deaths

The Kane County Health Department is distributing a free medication, naloxone, to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, officials announced in a news release.

The Kane County Coroner’s Office reported 71 opioid-related deaths in 2023.

“It is vitally important that people have access to this life-saving medicine,” said Health Department Executive Director Michael Isaacson.

“Overdose and fentanyl deaths have been on the rise for years, and naloxone distribution has been proven to save lives,” Isaacson said in the statement. “We believe everyone matters and everyone deserves to live a healthy life. By distributing this medication for free, we hope to save lives and give people a fighting chance to overcome the challenges they may be facing.”

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, which means it binds to opioid receptors and can reverse and block the effects of other opioids, such as heroin, morphine, and oxycodone.

Approved by the Food and Drug Administration, naloxone is administered as a two-dose nasal spray that can help reverse an opioid overdose, even when the opioid was used in combination with sedatives or stimulants, according to the Safe Project website www.safeproject.us.

Anyone can be trained to use naloxone to reverse the effects of an overdose. Non-medical professionals can administer naloxone to someone experiencing an opioid overdose. The Safe Project and the Kane County Health Department websites, www.kanehealth.com, also offer training videos on how to use naloxone to reverse the effects of an overdose.

Naloxone can restore normal breathing within two to three minutes in a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped following an opioid overdose. Naloxone does not harm a person who overdoses on medications other than opioids, the statement said.

After administering naloxone, call 911 and stay with the patient until help arrives. The patient should receive medical attention as soon as possible after receiving naloxone because naloxone is a temporary treatment and its effects do not last long, the release said.

“Naloxone is a safe and simple method to save people from potential overdose death,” Isaacson said in the statement. “We encourage people to contact our partner organizations in Kane County to obtain naloxone and have it on hand in case of an emergency. It’s free, effective and can save lives.”

Free naloxone is available at these locations

• Campton Hills Police Department, 630-584-4242

• Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, 224-833-2557

• Tri City Health Partnership, 630-377-9277, 318 Walnut St., St. Charles

• Kane County Health Department lobby at 1240 N. Highland Ave., Aurora for pickup from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• Simply Destinee Youth Center, 708-926-4979, 122 W. Downer Place, Suite 124, Aurora

Sites also offering free fentanyl test strips:

• Kane County Sheriff’s Office, 630-232-6840 – Free naloxone vending machine 24 hours a day in hotel lobby 37W755 Illinois Route 38, St. Charles

• Lighthouse Recovery, 630-940-2468 – Free outdoor naloxone vending machine, open 24 hours a day, at 210 S. Fifth St. and in the lobby of the St. Charles Police Department at 1515 W. Main St.

• Terrain Mutuel, 630-897-0084, 418 Oak Ave., Aurora

• Association for Individual Development, 630-966-4000, 309 W. New Indian Trail Court, Aurora

• Ecker Center for Behavioral Health, 847-695-0484, 1845 Grandstand Place, Elgin; Mathers Recovery Center, 847-462-6099, 420 Airport Road, C, Elgin

More information is available online at www.kanehealth.com.