In a push to fight overdose deaths and bring attention to the opioid epidemic, the Public Defender Association handed out supplies of Narcan Saturday to people in the Pioneer Square community who attended an international opioid awareness day event.
It was supplies of nasal sprays that came from the Washington Department of Health, and each kit came with two doses, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
"Narcan is a lifesaver," Jesse Rawlins, with Seattle's Public Defender Association and event organizer said.
The event was all about putting lifesaving power into the community hands, so anyone seeing an overdose can save a life.
One Capitol Hill resident who attended the event said her parents were addicts growing up and are clean now, but realizes many others don't always get that chance.
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She said, "I'm really fortunate because in that time, they could've overdosed, and they could've become another statistic."
Rawlins, the event organizer, told us his partner died from a heroin overdose nine years ago.
"His overdose really impacted me to work in local drug policy work. For Drew, he faced so much stigma and isolation from his drug use, from his community, family and friends, so, that's' why we're here today, to build awareness, decrease stigma, and decrease isolation," Rawlins said.
Also, the Seattle Police Department is taking measures to fight the epidemic too. It released a body camera video today of a woman overdosing.
The department has issued more than 100 doses of Narcan to its officers and plans to distribute nearly 150 more in the coming weeks.
The department also plans to train officers to better spot signs of an overdose.
Seattle's Nightlife Business Program also goes to nightclubs to train business owners on how to spot signs and administer the drug.
Last year in King County, 415 people died of a drug overdose.
Health officials believe many of them could have been saved if they were around someone with Narcan.
Cox Media Group
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