St. Louis County Government: Justice Center To Provide Narcan To Detainees Upon Release From Custody

Press release from the St. Louis County Government:

January 14, 2022

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO (January 14, 2022) - Narcan will now be offered to those released from custody at the St. Louis County Justice Center.

Narcan, which can effectively treat a narcotics overdose, is provided for free to anyone who wants it through the Department of Public Health. Now, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, detainees released from the Justice Center are provided Narcan.

“Our detainees often have substance abuse challenges when they arrive and we know that those challenges often remain when they leave our care,” said Scott Anders, acting director of Justice Services. “Narcan has proven to save lives and we are glad we can make it more widely available to a vulnerable population.”

County Executive Dr. Sam Page worked as a council member to get a prescription drug monitoring program established in St. Louis County as one way to help fight the opioid crisis. Providing free Narcan to a population often struggling with narcotics is another important step to saving lives, he said.

“With this DOJ grant, we were able to purchase thousands of doses of this life-saving medicine to provide detainees when they are released back into the community,” County Executive Page said. “Access to healthcare is often beyond reach for those who come into the criminal justice system so this nasal spray can be the difference between life and death during an overdose crisis.”

This press release was produced by the St. Louis County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.