Wabash Bowen Center offers free Naloxone kits in new 'NaloxBox'

89.1 WBOI | By Ella Abbott

Published April 21, 2022 at 11:35 AM EDT

The Naloxone box is kept stocked with single-use kits outside of the Community Center entrance at the Bowen Center Wabash office.

Bowen Center’s Wabash office has begun offering free, confidential access to Naloxone kits to help rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Access to Naloxone, which is often referred to as Narcan, is a priority for the US Department of Health and Human Services, according to Bowen Center.

The Wabash office is partnering with Overdose Lifeline and a local nurse to ensure a box is stocked with single dose kits for any community members to come in and grab.

Rural communities like Wabash tend to dispense Naloxone at a much lower rate than metropolitan areas. Wayne Peterson-Stephan, Director of Addiction Recovery Services at Bowen Center, said it’s important family members and friends of those struggling with addiction have the kits on hand.

“When we think about who is a first responder to an opioid overdose, it’s going to often be a relative, a friend or just another community member,” Peterson-Stephan said.

Naloxone is safe if used on someone who isn’t experiencing an overdose, but can reverse the effects of opioids almost immediately.

The “NaloxBox” is a self-dispensing box outside of the community room entrance to the Wabash center. It can be accessed any time of day or night and includes simple instructions for use.