Somerville Equips All City Buildings With Narcan

SOMERVILLE, MA — All municipal buildings in Somerville are now equipped with Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, according to the Health and Human Services Department.

Health officials conducted voluntary training sessions for city staff to recognize the signs of and respond to a potential overdose. Each Narcan box is located within the defibrillator boxes and/or first aid kits of buildings, along with face masks for rescue breathing.

Locations now equipped with Narcan are City Hall, the City Hall Annex, the Council on Aging, Department of Public Works, Traffic & Parking, all Parks & Recreation facilities and public libraries and schools.

"We are prioritizing finding ways to increase access to Narcan for community members across all parts of Somerville to counter the opioid epidemic," Mayor Joseph Curtatone said in a statement. "We will continue to look for ways to reach people who need overdose prevention education to save lives."

Since September 2018, Somerville Prevention has trained approximately 273 Somerville residents, businesses and organizations while distributing 164 doses of Narcan.

For more information on the City’s Prevention services and programs, visit www.somervillema.gov, or contact Prevention Services Manager Matt Mitchell at mmitchell@somervillema.gov.