BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — As Kern County continues to battle the deadly fentanyl crisis, a Bakersfield woman is working to make overdose-reversal medication easier to find and to encourage more people to step in during emergencies.
Audrey Chavez, inspired by her work with vulnerable communities, has helped place Narcan distribution boxes across Kern County to reduce stigma and make the medication accessible around the clock.
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Chavez recalled an incident in Oildale in which Narcan helped save someone experiencing an overdose.
FILE – A person prepares to shoot up a mix of heroin and fentanyl on a street on July 19, 2021, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
“There was someone on a bike that was coming up to get some in a hurried manner,” Chavez said. “I said, ” Is there someone in trouble? And he said, yes.”
“It actually took seven doses of Narcan to bring that individual back to life,” she said. “It was a very dire situation, and had that not been accessible. Things would have been definitely different.”
Chavez said the boxes are helping save lives and that people should not be afraid to carry Narcan or help during an overdose emergency.
“It’s important and imperative, because very few people who overdose were trying to overdose,” Chavez said.
She also said California’s Good Samaritan law protects people who help during an overdose emergency.
Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray.
KBAK/KBFX
Through the Bakersfield AIDS Project, the distribution boxes are placed outside businesses, making them accessible 24/7. The boxes are stocked with free Narcan, fentanyl test strips and other emergency supplies. Each box can hold about 55 doses of Narcan.
Chavez also demonstrated how to use Narcan.
“So this is the Narcan here,” Chavez said. “It’s very, very simple. And so, basically, what you’ll do is you will give a sternum rub to the person who may, um, may be unconscious or not breathing. If you see some of the signs that someone is overdosed, you’re gonna try to wake them up. They don’t respond, you’re gonna go ahead and open up your packet, peel it open, you position it into their nose, into their nostril, and then you just get one push like that.”
Chavez said if the person does not start breathing again after about two minutes, another dose should be given, and people should also call 9-1-1 immediately.
Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray.
KBAK/KBFX
While most of the distribution boxes are currently in Bakersfield, Chavez said she hopes to expand into more cities and rural communities across Kern County. She said she is looking for “like-minded” people who want to help make the tools more accessible.
“When I say like-minded, I mean, willing to be a good Samaritan, willing to get the tools into the hands of others who care about what’s happening in our county,” Chavez said.
Chavez said small business owners who want to host a distribution box outside their location can contact her at 661-742-3611.
She said the Bakersfield AIDS Project will provide the boxes and Narcan for free and keep them fully stocked.