COLUMBIA, S.C. — As South Carolina sees a seasonal increase in the number of drug overdoses, the state's Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is making a limited number of Overdose (OD) Safety Kits available to the public.
The free OD Safety Kits will be available in health departments in all of South Carolina's 46 counties -- two kits per person, while supplies last. Each kit contains two doses of the opioid-antidote medication naloxone, five fentanyl test strips, educational materials on how to use both, and guidance for how to identify an opioid overdose.
Dr. Brannon Traxler with DHEC said these kits are crucial to battling the opioid epidemic, especially in rural areas.
"Having somebody on on site who has this and can administer the nasal spray could truly save a life versus having to wait for a first responder to get there," said Traxler.
The naloxone in the kits is a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, potentially saving a person’s life, and the fentanyl test strips are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, in different types of drugs.
William McCauley, who struggled with drug misuse for 25 years, said he wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for Narcan.
"At the end of my last year using, I overdosed about 14 times," said McCauley.
There are many stories like his around the state. In 2020, 1,734 South Carolinians died from a drug overdose.
McCauley believes DHEC's kits will help break the stigma around using or administering Narcan.
"Its not just for those suffering from addiction, grandma can accidently take too many pain meds from the hip surgery she just had," said McCauley. "You never know when you need it and if you need it and don’t have it… it’s too late."
McCauley now helps those in recovery at the Courage Center in Lexington. He wants people who are experiencing addiction to know help is available.
"Recovery is awesome and anybody and everybody can recover. We all have the capacity," said McCauley.
On December first and second, the Manning Police Department responded to four overdoses within hours of each other.
"The first 10 years of my careers we saw very little overdoses in our area. Um, so it's it's definitely trending up," Lieutenant Sean Briley.
Briley explained he supports making Narcan more easily accessible.
"All of them are somebody's loved one. So the more we can take care of them, the better," said Briley. "I've seen a lot of good recovery stories where these individuals can come out and be good productive members of society."
In a statement, DHEC Director Dr. Edward Zimmer said, “As another holiday season begins, it’s important we recognize that these are not happy, joyful times for everyone. This time of year can be stressful, isolating and saddening for many people. “We encourage anyone with friends or loved ones who struggle during the holidays to stop by their DHEC health department to pick up a free OD Safety Kit to have on hand. And we remind those struggling mentally or emotionally that there is help available to you."
Zimmer continued, "It is also important to remember that overdoses can occur unintentionally. Many other drugs of abuse can be laced with fentanyl unknown to the user, which can cause a fatal overdose even in a small quantity. Although we strongly discourage the use of any drug abuse, the fentanyl test strips included in the OD Safety Kit can help prevent unintentional overdoses and deaths. Together, we can prevent untimely deaths due to overdoses by removing stigma and being prepared to act, if needed, using these live-saving kits."
In addition to DHEC's supply, the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (DAODAS) manages a statewide network of Naloxone Community Distributors where residents can receive free doses of naloxone, fentanyl test strips and educational materials.
The South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH), another key partner in the state’s efforts to combat drug overdoses, offers a range of services to assist anyone struggling with mental or emotional health issues. Its SC HOPES line connects South Carolinians to available resources across the state, and its Mobile Crisis Program provides assessment to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. These toll-free, statewide lines can be reached 24/7/365 at: (844) SC-HOPES (724-6737) and (833) 364-2274. A listing of crisis and non-crisis mental health resources is available online.
- To check the availability of OD Safety Kits at a DHEC health department, find contact information for calling ahead at scdhec.gov.
- To find free naloxone doses and fentanyl test strips available at other Community Distributors, visit justplainkilles.com.
- For services to treat addiction, visit daodas.sc.gov or embracerecoverysc.com.
Learn how to recognize the signs of an overdose and how to administer naloxone nasal spray with an instructional video at scdhec.gov/cope.