CEDAR CITY, Utah — Iron County emergency manager George Colson says I-15 has become a major drug corridor running right through southern Utah.
“Narcan’s our best tool to save lives,” he said. “We've had cases where officers had to administer up to six doses to an individual in a severe overdose situation.”
For years, Colson has received the life-saving medication Narcan from the Southwest Utah Public Health Department. Recently, he found out that the funding for Narcan had run out in November. The Health Department no longer has an opioid program, according to spokesperson David Heaton.
“We've kind of stepped out of the direct involvement with that,” he said.
Heaton said individual law enforcement agencies and other organizations now need to order Narcan directly from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
“For the new funding that came from the federal government, and first of all, it was reduced by a significant amount, and then the state decided with their model of how they would distribute funding, it wouldn't automatically be divided up among the local public health departments,” he said.
Colson was able to order Narcan from the DHHS, but was told via email that the "continuation of the funding" for it is "unsure."
“The drug problem has not gotten gone away or lessened, and I'm very concerned about funding in the future for Narcan given the level of narcotics abuse,” said Colson.
Iron County’s small sheriff and police departments can’t afford to maintain the supply they need on their own; one pack of two nasal sprays costs anywhere from $40 to $70, said Colson.
“It'd be like the fire department showing up without hoses or without water,” he said. “If you don't if an officer on the street doesn't have the ability to save that life. That's a very helpless feeling.”
The DHHS sent the following statement to FOX 13 News:
“There is no shortage of Narcan in Utah. Narcan remains readily available for first responders, local health departments, and other critical service providers in Utah. These partners can order Narcan through the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) through the Naloxone Request Form.
"As an example, Iron County placed an order for 200 Naloxone kits (2,400 doses) on February 20, and the order was fulfilled on February 23.
"In addition to ordering Narcan through DHHS, partner organizations can work with their leadership to request funding for purchasing Narcan through pharmacies and medical supply stores.”
