The Arlington County library system has now been stocked with Naxolone (better known as NARCAN), a nasal spray that can assist with reversing an overdose from opioids.
The decision to include the medication at local branches comes as overdoses spike in Arlington and across the nation.
“Getting NARCAN into Arlington libraries means that lifesaving resources are more readily available in the event that someone is experiencing an overdose,” said Deborah Warren, executive director of the Arlington County Community Services Board and deputy director of the Department of Human Services.
Libraries already have first-aid kits and automated-external defibrillators at branches.
According to Arlington officials, there have been 206 opioid overdoses in Arlington, 60 of them fatal, since the start of 2020. Over the first five months of 2022, there have been 12 fatal overdoses.
In 2017, county officials launched the Arlington Addiction Recovery Initiative in response to rising concerns pertaining to opioid abuse in the community.