Opioid overdoses are on the rise in North Florida. To help its victims, the regional drug treatment program called DISC Village is making more life saving antidotes available in the communities it serves.
DISC Village adult program director Jennifer Travieso said it's the worst she's seen in her 17 years dealing with substance use disorders. "As long as I've been here, this year of 2022 we've seen an incredible number of fatal overdoses."
Most of those overdoses, she added, are caused by the powerful opioid fentanyl. Now, she said DISC Village has a new tool to fight the overdose epidemic.
"We just received 200 boxes of Kloxxado, which is an 8 milligram internasal naloxone, which is similar to Narcan but double the dose."
The 800 doses were donated by Hikma Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of the medication. Travieso said it will be made available to the area's first responders and others who may need its life saving properties. The DISC Village web site now shows where and how the medications can be obtained.
