Ocean City has announced it will install Narcan cabinets across the town in efforts to cut down on opioid overdoses as part of a partnership with Worcester Goes Purple.
The drive will include 10 Narcan cabinets placed throughout Ocean City, and Narcan boxes will be paired with already installed automated external defibrillator boxes. The organization is also working with the Ocean City fire chief to determine the best placement for boxes.
"I would like to thank Mayor Meehan and the Ocean City Council for taking the steps needed to keep our community and families safe. I appreciate the help of Fire Chief Bowers and the town workers who will help to install the boxes. Narcan does save lives," said Debbie Smullen, president of Worcester Goes Purple.
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According to Smullen, the boxes will be installed before Memorial Day to provide lifesaving Narcan to anyone in the area who would like to have it. She further noted Narcan is a tool that everyone should have in their first aid kit and is used to reduce the immediate dangers associated with overdose, such as accidental death.
Data collected by Worcester goes Purple cited overdose deaths have increased 15% in Worcester County, 36.1% in Wicomico County and 110% in Somerset County for the 12 months ending in November 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
Narcan is a drug that can temporarily reverse opioid overdose. It works by blocking opioids from attaching to opioid receptors in the brain.
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Ocean City mayor, police welcome Narcan as life-saving measure
“The Town of Ocean City is pleased to partner with Worcester Goes Purple in our commitment to community safety and support. By providing Narcan accessibility throughout our town, we're taking proactive steps to address opioid-related emergencies. If we can save one life, it means everything," said Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan.
"In recent years, Ocean City, along with communities all across the country, has seen an increase in opioid overdoses. Narcan is a nasal spray medication that can be easily administered to individuals experiencing an overdose. The cabinets will offer immediate access to Narcan in case of an emergency. The cabinet will contain the medication and a QR code that will play a video demonstrating the proper way to administer the medication," said a spokesperson for the Ocean City Police Department.
The Ocean City Police Department also equips all of its officers and auxiliary officers (volunteers) with Narcan. According to the department, officers know the public is sometimes reluctant to notify emergency personnel or law enforcement during an overdose due to fear of getting in trouble.
"We hope that having the cabinets throughout town can help save a life in an overdose emergency," the spokesperson added.
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