Faith Mission installs Narcan vending machine for opioid overdoses
Faith Mission in Wichita Falls has installed a vending machine to distribute Narcan, a medication that can reverse the effects of opioids, according to a media release.
Narcan has been used to save lives during the local fentanyl crisis.
"This initiative is made possible through the generous supportof local oral surgeon Dr. Sandra Vergara and the nonprofit organization Action Against Opioids," the nonprofit said in a press release.
The vending machine will be dedicated at 11 a.m. Monday at the mission at 1300 Travis St.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.
Drug traffickers frequently mix fentanyl with other substances, creating deadly combinations that have led to a dramatic rise in fatalities.
In 2022, Wichita Falls Police investigated 54 fentanyl overdoses, resulting in 20 deaths, many among young people.
By 2023, the number of overdose calls increased to 80 with 26 resulting in death, according to the mission.
Given in time, Narcan can block opioid receptors in the brain and restore normal breathing in two to three minutes.
Faith Mission provides programs and services aimed at leading homeless people and those with addictions to self-sufficiency.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Faith Mission installs Narcan vending machine for opioid overdoses
