CANTON — The Stark County Sheriff’s Office has started distributing Narcan to inmates at risk of overdosing on opioids upon their release from jail, the sheriff’s department said in a release Tuesday.
The project, funded by the Ohio Department of Health and administered through the Stark County Health Department, helps identify inmates who qualify through in-depth interviews. Inmates are also taught how to use Narcan upon their release.
Until recently, Narcan was not provided., the sheriff’s office said. At-risk inmates were instead encouraged to contact Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone (the generic name for Narcan)) after their release for Narcan and training.
The pilot project is one of two similar programs funded in Ohio, the sheriff’s department said.