Council committee explores naloxone kiosks and outreach as opioid-settlement funds sit unspent

Council members reported progress from a subcommittee formed to examine how Calvert City might use opioid-settlement funds. A guest resource person (Lauren Carr, opioid settlement advisor noted by the subcommittee) shared information about naloxone availability and the state website for finding kits; council members discussed options including placing a naloxone kiosk outside city hall, partnering with the police and health department, and conducting public education to reduce stigma.

An attendee who has hosted a Narcan box described prior local experience: the box was emptied repeatedly and later relocated; advocates said kiosks can function like newspaper-style dispensers but require logistical planning and periodic restocking. Council members discussed practical matters — kiosk cost, who would pay for and maintain a dispenser, linking naloxone distribution with first‑aid and AED training, and ensuring supplies are packaged with multiple doses since some overdoses require two or three administrations.

One council member noted that the city currently has settlement funds in the bank but has not yet specified how to spend them; an advisor told the committee that very few jurisdictions statewide had spent opioid-settlement money yet. As one speaker put it in the course of the discussion, “Nobody has spent their money hardly,” underscoring that Calvert City is early in planning but in a position to act.

Council directed the subcommittee to continue research, work with the police chief and the health department on logistics and messaging, and report back with recommendations for how to allocate settlement funds to naloxone kiosks, training and outreach.