Las Vegas to Give Out 10,000 Free Narcan Doses in Overdose Prevention Event
A major Narcan and drug test strip giveaway event took place on Saturday, Sept. 27, across Las Vegas. Organizers distributed 10,000 free doses of Narcan, along with test strips designed…
A major Narcan and drug test strip giveaway event took place on Saturday, Sept. 27, across Las Vegas. Organizers distributed 10,000 free doses of Narcan, along with test strips designed to detect fentanyl and xylazine. The effort aimed to combat the city's rising overdose crisis by placing lifesaving tools directly into the hands of the public.
Health experts, including Yale Medicine, have strongly recommended that even patients prescribed pain medications carry naloxone to prevent accidental overdoses. This event focused on a great variety of communities at several distribution points located in Downtown, the Arts District, Allegiant Stadium, the Strip, and LGBTQ neighborhoods. There were at least three stationary sites on Fremont Street and in the Arts District to have ongoing access.
Jamie Hatfield, who is now a case manager for Shine A Light and has been active in the social work field, discussed her real-life account of addiction, overdose, and recovery, as well as the impact Narcan had on her life and on many of her fellow recovery network members.
“A lot of my clients, most of the people in my office, most of the people in my recovery circle have all had Narcan used on them at one point in time, and are now living beautiful lives. It's insane. If you talk to the people that are in the recovery community, hundreds, thousands have all said yes, I was dosed with Narcan, saved my life,” said Hatfield.
“Anybody that's taking any kind of pill nowadays could overdose. And you never know,” said Hatfield.
“I lost my kid because of my addiction. I've got him back. I got back in my family's life. I robbed them for everything they had at one point, and they wanted nothing to do with me,” said Hatfield.
Hatfield's testimony highlighted how Narcan has been vital not only for homeless populations but for anyone at risk of overdose. Many individuals in recovery and drug court programs have been saved by Narcan, demonstrating its critical role in prevention and long-term recovery efforts.
