Justin Fox Burks
County health agents will give away free drug overdose reversal kits this weekend in an event hoped to stem the rising tide of drug deaths in Shelby County.
Shelby County Health Department data shows overdose deaths have more than doubled since 2017. That year, 165 died of drug overdoses. In 2019, the figure was 343. So far this year, 369 deaths have been related to drug overdoses.
On Saturday, December 5th, the county’s Street Team for Overdose Prevention (STOP) will provide free overdose reversal kits (including naloxone, a medication that blocks opioids), treatment resources, and information about accessing needle exchange programs.
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at How Park, next to the Lester Community Center at 317 Tillman. The event will feature music and free food.
