Clackamas County public health trains Estacada committee on fentanyl, naloxone distribution and local outreach

April Herron, lead for substance use and overdose prevention at the Clackamas County Public Health Division, told the Estacada Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee on Tuesday that fentanyl-driven deaths remain the dominant driver of overdose fatalities in the U.S. and in Oregon and described county efforts to expand naloxone access and training.

Herron said the nation has moved through several waves of the opioid crisis — prescription opioids, then heroin, then illicit fentanyl — and now sees more fentanyl mixed with other drugs. "Deaths from synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, made up about 70,000 of those deaths or 66 percent," she said, citing national data. In Clackamas County she said public-health tracking showed 119 county residents died of drug-induced causes in the 2023 numbers the county had been sharing.

The presentation focused on how naloxone (Narcan) works, common myths, legal protections and practical steps for responding to an opioid overdose. Herron said naloxone is a medication that "can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose," and clarified myths such as that naloxone encourages drug use or is itself addictive. She said naloxone is now available over the counter, costs about $38 for a two-dose box in retail pharmacies, and that the county stocks limited…