Officials say counterfeit pills made to look like pharmaceuticals such as oxycodone but actually containing fentanyl are a growing problem. In addition to increased efforts to crack down on the drug trade, the City of Seattle is also hoping to help more people survive overdoses.

Thursday, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the city will purchase 700 naloxone kits to distribute at trainings throughout Seattle.

“Fentanyl and counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl are spreading throughout our communities, and we must continue to combat this growing crisis. Naloxone can reverse overdoses – these kits can truly save people’s lives,” Durkan said in the announcement of the effort.

“We’re working with our partners to make sure this medication can get into the hands of people who may need it, from our Seattle Public Schools nurses, to our frontline service providers, to people who work with those involved in the criminal legal system.”

Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is a nasal spray that can be used to reverse an opioid overdose. In 2015, CHS wrote about efforts to fund increased use of the safety measure and, in 2017, reported on the increased over the counter availability of the antidote.

Seattle officials say the “illicit fentanyl marketplace” is growing “exponentially.” In 2018, the Seattle Police Department reports seizing 187 fentanyl pills. “Through targeted investigations, the Department seized 227,924 pills in 2019,” the city says. “So far in 2020, SPD has already taken 41,000 fentanyl pills off the street.”

Officials say Seattle Public Schools will receive training to ensure its 90 school nurses are trained to administer naloxone. The district’s safety and security team will also receive a naloxone training. Additional trainings will be conducted in partnership with the Center for Multicultural Health, Choose180, Country Doctor, Hepatitis Education Project, Lambert House, The Marah Project, Not One More, the Seattle Indian Health Board, and YouthCare.

Naloxone kits, each containing two doses of naloxone nose spray, will be distributed at each training.

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