The need for opioid overdose kits is on the rise, following a particularly devastating year in Onondaga County. The year 2020 brought with it a pandemic, spurring financial hardships, sickness, isolation and a record-breaking 156 overdose deaths for the county. 

In an effort to boost awareness and safety nets for the community at large, the Onondaga County Health Department has created an on-demand training program to teach people how to use an overdose kit to save a life. The online platform takes away barriers like transportation, or the stigma of owning a kit.

Narcan can give people the opportunity to stay alive and begin a path to recovery.

Now, it's as easy as taking a 12 minute training video, shorter than an episode of your favorite TV show, from anywhere at anytime, to get one mailed to your home. 

“Narcan works on fentanyl. If these individuals were in a situation where somebody could have administered narcan to them it may have saved their lives,” said Mariah Senecal-Reilly, program coordinator with the Onondaga County Health Department.

More than 90% of overdose deaths recorded in the county last year were fentanyl related. The county health department also has fentanyl test strips, which they can mail for free, no questions asked. Senecal-Reilly says they encourage any drug user to test for fentanyl before using, to prevent more deaths.