Iowa gives naloxone to restaurants and bars in fight against opioids

• 434 Iowans were reported to have died from drug overdoses between June 2020 and June 2021 — a 4% increase from the previous year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

State of play: Iowa launched a new initiative this week that provides naloxone spray kits to certain businesses and organizations that request them.

• Eligible places include gas stations, restaurants, bars, libraries, event venues and community service providers.
• It's funded through the State Opioid Response Grant and IDPH ships them out for free.

How it works: Naloxone is a rapid-working medicine that reverses an overdose by "ejecting" opioids from receptor sites on the brain.

• Breathing typically returns in just two to three minutes.

Between the lines: Two-thirds of overdose deaths nationwide involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to an analysis over a 12-year period ending last September.

• Fentanyl is cheaper and oftentimes much stronger, but people may be unaware it’s cut into their drugs, contributing to overdoses.

The bottom line: Some critics have shared baseless claims that increasing naloxone's availability can lead to more drug use.

• But Gabbert points out that people struggling with drug addiction will never even get the chance to rehabilitate if they die from an overdose.

Where to find it: Businesses and organizations interested in receiving a kit can contact RaChel Greenwood from IDPH at [email protected].