We are using naloxone to save lives.
Naloxone is easy to get and simple to use. Native people are learning signs of fentanyl overdose and how to use naloxone, also called Narcan, to reverse it.
Any and everyone should be carrying naloxone. Naloxone is a big word for Narcan. It saves lives from fentanyl overdose.
What we can do
How to tell if it's an overdose and what to do.
This medicine is often available for free.
Don’t use alone or mix drugs, and use test strips.
How to help a person who’s overdosing.
What is Narcan and how does Narcan work? Narcan, also called naloxone, is a medicine. It reverses opioid overdose by blocking the effects of opioids in the brain and restoring normal breathing. First call 911, then use Narcan.
How to get naloxone.
Tribes and community groups often provide naloxone and training for free. You also can buy naloxone or use health insurance, including Apple Health, to get it at a pharmacy.
- Check with your Tribe or a local substance-prevention coalition.
- Go to a pharmacy.
- Buy nasal spray naloxone, also called Narcan, off the shelf with no prescription. Discount cards like ArrayRx can lower the cost.
- Use your health insurance and the “statewide standing order” that acts as a prescription. If you have Apple Health, there's no copay.
- It can help to call the pharmacy ahead of time and to take a digital or printed copy of the standing order.
- Use this statewide Naloxone Finder.
- Check with the People's Harm Reduction Alliance, where you can request free naloxone by mail. This program has a limited supply of naloxone for people with no other way to get it.
- Call the Native Resource Hub at (866) 491-1683.
More resources:
- StopOverdose.org also has information about naloxone and overdose response.
- Download this Post-Overdose Toolkit for parents, siblings, friends, loved ones, and caretakers of those who have survived an overdose.
Reducing your risk of overdose or death.
If you use fentanyl or other substances, you can take measures to reduce your risk of dying by using harm-reduction practices.
Find out where to get Narcan. Carry it with you.
Anyone can carry naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose. Anyone can use it. Anyone can save a life. Find out where to get naloxone. Keep this life-saving medication nearby. Tell others where it is and how to use it.
Try not to use opioids alone.
If you overdose, you can’t use naloxone on yourself to save your life. If you are alone, call a response line like Never Use Alone before you use (877-696-1996). A volunteer will call 911 if you overdose.
Use test strips to detect fentanyl.
You can’t see, smell, or taste fentanyl laced into other drugs. But test strips can detect fentanyl. Some harm-reduction programs, such as syringe service programs, provide test strips. Check with your Tribal or community health center. You also can buy test strips online.
Don’t mix substances.
Don’t take two or more substances at the same time or within a short period of time. That includes:
- Mixing drugs and alcohol.
- Drugs that have been cut with other substances, including fentanyl.
- Combining prescription drugs with other drugs.
If you mix substances, the effects can be stronger and more unpredictable.