In August, local organizations will host the educational exhibit “Understanding Opioids: Awareness, Support, and Hope” in the Main Library Idea Box, in honor of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31.
Additionally, we want to make our community aware that, all year, the Main Library offers life-saving resources just inside the front entrance.
Since March 2023, overdose kits containing naloxone nasal spray (also known by the brand name Narcan) have been freely available to anyone in the Main Library vestibule, in a red opioid overdose box.
“Anyone can take and carry Narcan, give it to someone having an overdose, and potentially save a life,” says the library’s Manager of Public Safety Aaron Alonzo (pictured above).
Naloxone reverses opioid overdoses
Someone in Oak Park overdoses on opioids almost every other day, according to 2022 data from the Village of Oak Park Department of Public Health’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Project.
The Opioid Overdose Prevention Project stocks the naloxone box at the library and those in six other accessible locations around town.
How does it work?
Naloxone blocks the effects of opioids on the brain and can prevent overdose deaths. Each pouch contains two prepackaged naloxone nasal sprays, as well as instructions for use.
It’s important to know that anyone can take a pouch from the box in the library’s vestibule, to use in case of a future emergency. The box is unlocked, and you don’t need to ask permission.
The Main Library also has naloxone stocked on the second and third floors, in the same box as the AED machines. These supplies are intended for use in an emergency.
Ready-to-use nasal spray
The naloxone nasal spray inside comes ready to use, with no assembly needed. If you see someone overdosing on opioids, or if you suspect they are overdosing on opioids, you can spray the naloxone inside the person’s nostril and potentially save their life.
Signs of an overdose include shallow breathing, small pupils, not responding, and blue skin or lips from poor circulation, according to the Opioid Overdose Prevention Project. (Find more resources, trainings, and frequently asked questions on its website.)
Naloxone only works to block opioids, which include fentanyl, oxycodone, and morphine. It will not work on overdoses from drugs like cocaine or methamphetamine. Still, the National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends using it for even a suspected opioid overdose because it has no negative effects on someone who’s not overdosing on opioids.
August 1-31: Understanding Opioids in the Main Library Idea Box
In honor of International Overdose Awareness Day, Oak Park and River Forest Townships Youth and Family Services Opioid Task Force will host the exhibit “Understanding Opioids: Awareness, Support, and Hope” in the Main Library Idea Box, August 1-31.
Resources, support, remembrance
The goal is to “empower community members with the necessary resources and support to prevent the devastating consequences of substance misuse by providing evidence-based prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services.” The display will include an interactive component for patrons to memorialize and share the names of loved ones lost to overdose.
August 4 Open House
On Monday, August 4, 12-1 pm, you are invited to meet local exhibit creators—Oak Park Township Prevention Coordinator Angela Aggen and Youth & Family Services Director Megan Traficano—who will be on hand in the Idea Box to answer your questions on this important issue that affects us all.