PITTSBURGH — One woman has made it her mission to place boxes of Narcan across the city in hard-hit communities in the Hill District, Homewood, and Wilkinsburg, combating the opioid crisis one box at a time.
“We just take (the boxes), and we put them in the trees,” said community advocate Carol Speaks.
Every day, Speaks gets up, gets dressed and passes out Narcan.
“I have Narcan in DJ’s Bar, Narcan in the grocery store over there, and up the street near The Manna House,” said Speaks.
Narcan is a nasal spray small enough to fit in the palm of your hand but powerful enough to prevent overdose death.
“My goal is to get one (Narcan box) in everyone’s pocket ... If you administer one dose while help is coming, that could maybe save a life,” said Speaks.
The most recent numbers available for Allegheny County show overdose deaths have climbed during the pandemic. In 2020, there were 690 overdose deaths, an increase from 2019 when there were 571.
“I kept seeing people overdosing,” said Speaks.
Speaks explained her neighborhood of Homewood was hit hard.
“One day I got a phone call three people had overdosed at the same time,” said Speaks.
Speaks said it is one of the reasons she began handing out the Narcan in the first place.
“It takes the paramedics a while to get here, but I can get here first,” said Speaks.
So armed with Narcan, gloves, fentanyl test strips, a resource packet and her card with her number, she leaves boxes in Homewood, the Hill District and at local busways.
Her inspiration behind all the work is simple. “Thirty years ago I was in these streets like these people, and God touched me so now I’m touching everybody else,” said Speaks.
Speaks said she would not be able to do what she does if it wasn’t for the help of the Allegheny County Health Department, who supplies her with the boxes of Narcan.
On this upcoming Thursday, March 24, 2022, the Allegheny County Health Department and Ukombozi (Speaks’ organization), along with several other community partners, will host an Overdose Prevention and Community Resource Fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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