The Oakland County Sheriff's Office announced its latest effort to protect residents as it becomes the first law enforcement agency in the United States to equip its deputies with the life-saving nasal spray OPVEE to treat overdoses of natural and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
Cars pulled up alongside an office building on Woodward Avenue in Birmingham on a recent Friday for an unusual curbside service: a 10-minute crash course on how to handle an overdose.
Before they leave, a volunteer hands the driver a small Save A Life kit through the car window containing two doses of Narcan.
The free, curbside crash courses are being offered by the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities, a substance misuse prevention group that serves 55 cities and townships in Oakland County.
An increase in overdose deaths during COVID-19 has led the organization to find new ways to reach those in need, first with virtual training sessions and now with Narcan curbside training. Narcan is a brand of naloxone, the medication used to reverse overdose effects.