Clergy member urges expanded Narcan, syringe access and data to curb fentanyl deaths

Reverend Will Naylor addressed the council during public comment on Sept. 15, urging the city to prioritize harm-reduction interventions in neighborhoods with high overdose rates. "Harm reduction is a public health philosophy...tools like Narcan, syringe exchange, clean kits, overdose prevention education, and connecting people to treatment saves lives," Naylor said.

Naylor cited local data: in fiscal year 2023, opioid-related deaths accounted for 10.9% of male resident deaths and 3.9% of female resident deaths where toxicology was available; he said fentanyl appeared in roughly 95.9% of opioid-related deaths cited. He described a recent local fatality of a 33-year-old man found alone and urged the council to act now rather than wait for people to become "clean."

Why it matters: Speakers and several councilors referenced fentanyl as a near-ubiquitous factor in overdose deaths in Springfield; Naylor asked the council to fund distribution of Narcan, enable syringe access, expand mental-health and addiction services in black and brown neighborhoods, and improve real-time data collection on overdose hot spots.

What Naylor asked the council to do - Pass ordinances or allocate funds to expand Narcan distribution. - Support syringe access services and clean-kit distribution. - Fund and expand mental-health and addiction services focused on heavily affected neighborhoods. - Collect accurate, real-time overdose data to identify hot spots and measure interventions.

Action taken: Naylor's remarks were recorded during the public speak-out portion; he asked the council to pass ordinances or allocate funding but no formal council action was taken during the public-comment period.