DHEC Dealth Departments Equipped With ‘OD Safety Kits To Prevent Opioid Overdoses
COLUMBIA, SC - As the holiday season continues, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is highlighting the availability of overdose prevention (OD) equipment at health departments across the state.
Each overdose safety kit available at DHEC's Department of Health contains two doses of the opioid antidote naloxone, five fentanyl test strips, educational materials on how to use both, and instructions on how to recognize an opioid overdose. The package includes naloxone, a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and potentially save a person's life. Fentanyl test strips are small pieces of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, in various medications.
“While the holidays are a happy time for many people, for others, it can be a stressful, isolating and depressing time of year. These feelings can increase the risk of substance abuse,” said DHEC Director Dr. Edward Simmer. “We encourage anyone who has a loved one struggling during the holidays to purchase a free overdose prevention kit from the DHEC Department of Health. “We are confident that the availability of this equipment will help prevent premature deaths, helping South Carolinians struggling with substance abuse to recover and live longer, healthier lives.” Currently DHEC can only provide two kits per person because supplies have run out.
Currently DHEC can only provide two kits per person because supplies have run out.
The availability of naloxone and fentanyl test strips is critical due to the high number of overdose deaths in South Carolina. From 2020 to 2021, the total number of overdose deaths in South Carolina increased by more than 25%, from 1,734 to 2,168. By comparison, there were only 573 overdose deaths in the state in 2012.
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Opioids, including fentanyl, have remained the leading cause of overdose deaths in recent years, accounting for 1,733 of the 2,168 fatal overdoses in 2021. In addition to overdose prevention equipment at DHEC's health department, the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse. (DAODAS) operates a statewide network of public naloxone dispensers where residents can obtain free doses of naloxone, fentanyl test strips and educational materials.
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