Hi Folks,

My name is John Kates, and am a nearby resident in Kirkwood, PA. I and am trying to raise awareness of a local (Oxford) offering that will be occurring next month. Last year, during the months of Oct. - December, Chester County experienced over 300 EMS calls that required addressing an accidental opioid overdose. The southern Chester County region has also been impacted by the opioid epidemic and has endured some unique challenges in coping with opioid addiction. As you know, with the closures of Jennersville Hospital and Brandywine Hospitals, our region has lost access to the resources of the two emergent-care facilities. These closures have led to a depletion of EMS resources, and longer transport times to distant hospitals. A life-saving drug called naloxone (Narcan) is an opioid antagonist that is very safe and effective in treating a suspected opioid overdose. It can be easily administered by a willing bystander to a person that has succumbed to an overdose. Nearly 40% of all fatal opioid overdoses are in the presence of a bystander. Wouldn't it be great if Narcan was more available, and more people were aware of how to utilize it?

I am organizing a community outreach that will offer free naloxone (Narcan) supplies and training for Oxford area community members. The event will be held at the Ote (Octoraro Tavern -on the 2nd Floor) on April 25 from 6pm-7pm. Registered attendees will receive Narcan kits, appropriate training, and information on the resources available for addiction recovery in Chester County.

This outreach is completely free for registered attendees and is being funded through the Chester County Drug and Alcohol Services and Penn Medicine. I am also in discussions to have Kacie's Cause representatives present to offer awareness of their programs that also support addiction recovery and community education. Within this flyer is a qr-code for interested community members to register for this event. 

Thank you for your time and consideration,

John