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From the Monterey Police Department: The City of Monterey via the Monterey Police Department (MPD), MultiDisciplinary Outreach Team (MDOT) in collaboration with the Central Coast Overdose Prevention coalition, is embarking on a critical initiative to combat the alarming increase in overdose deaths in California and Monterey County. As part of this effort, the installation of NARCAN® (Naloxone) Nasal Spray Now Boxes at key locations within the city of Monterey will provide free access to lifesaving opiate overdose reversal medicine.
NARCAN®, an opiate antagonist, acts rapidly to reverse the effects of opioid overdose. It is a crucial intervention that can mean the difference between life and death in emergency situations. Importantly, NARCAN® has no effect on individuals who do not have opioids in their system, ensuring its safety and efficacy.
The strategic placement of NARCAN® Now Boxes at three prominent locations in Monterey highlights the city’s commitment to public health and safety:
- Monterey Transit Plaza
- Monterey Police Department at 351 Madison Street
- Monterey Outreach and Navigation Center at 401 Camino El Estero
The decision to install NARCAN® Now Boxes comes in response to alarming statistics released by the California Department of Public Health. Preliminary figures for 2023 reveal a stark escalation, with the first half of the year alone nearly surpassing the total for all of 2022.
In California, drug-related overdose deaths in the second quarter of 2023 reached 10,985, just shy of the 11,002 recorded for the entire 2022. Similarly, in
Monterey County, the second quarter of 2023 saw 109 deaths, surpassing the total of 88 for 2022.
As the remaining quarters of 2023 are calculated, experts anticipate further increases in overdose deaths, underscoring the severity of the drug overdose crisis in California and Monterey County (2023 Q2-10,985). The City of Monterey is committed to addressing this crisis head-on and is actively working to implement comprehensive strategies to save lives and support individuals affected by addiction. Central Coast Overdose Prevention (CCODP)—an overdose prevention coalition of care providers, nonprofit organizations, and community members that serves the Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties—shares in that goal by coordinating a wide range of education, prevention, and community outreach programs.
For more information on the NARCAN® Now initiative or to inquire about participation and support, please contact CCODP at contact@ccodp.org.
Together, let us take decisive action to combat overdose deaths and build a healthier, safer community for all.
Members of CCODP and the Monterey Police Department will be available for interviews about this topic on Friday April 19, 2024 at 10:00 AM at 401 Camino El
Estero.
CONTACT: Ethan Andrews, Lieutenant
PHONE: 831-646-3822
EMAIL: andrews@monterey.org
NARCAN® is a registered trademark of Emergent Operations Ireland Limited.
The City of Monterey, Central Coast Overdose Prevention, and the NARCAN® Now initiative are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Emergent Operations Ireland Limited or Emergent BioSolutions Inc.