As the opioid epidemic evolves in Wisconsin, and in an effort to save lives and reduce harm, organizations across the HOPE Consortium service area have partnered with Wisconsin Voices for Recovery to install additional Nalox-ZONE boxes in central and northern Wisconsin.
HOPE Consortium is a collaborative rural model for substance use disorder treatment and recovery support. Participating organizations share resources to support use of evidenced-based practices and a regional recovery-oriented system of care.
The goal of the Nalox-ZONE Program is to increase access to naloxone, also known as Narcan®, by distributing as many Nalox-ZONE boxes as possible across Wisconsin, supporting both safety and harm reduction efforts to save lives and prevent fatalities due to opioid overdoses. These boxes are currently provided free of charge through Wisconsin Voices for Recovery in Marshfield, Stevens Point, Neillsville, Black River Falls, Wisconsin Rapids, Eagle River, Minocqua, Rhinelander and Ladysmith. Exact locations in these communities are listed on the HOPE Consortium website.
“We are excited to partner with WI Voices of Recovery,” said Danielle Luther, Senior Project Manager, at Family Health Center of Marshfield, Inc., who facilitates work for the HOPE Consortium. “In August 2021, the first box located in the upper half of Wisconsin was placed in the Wood County Jail lobby. After seeing the success and need, HOPE Consortium partners worked together over the summer of 2022 to find the best locations in their communities.”
A Nalox-ZONE box contains doses of naloxone nasal spray, a breathing barrier (for use if CPR is needed), instructions on how to administer naloxone nasal spray (in Spanish and English), and information on local recovery resources. Individuals can take the naloxone from the box for free at these locations.
Participating organizations will receive a notification when the box is opened to ensure the boxes are stocked in a timely manner and to collect data on the number of units of naloxone dispensed at each box site. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research shows that someone with a substance use disorder who has access to harm reduction services such as syringe service programs are five-times more likely to enter treatment and about three-times more likely to stop using drugs than those who do not have access.
“People can and do recover,” said Ashley Normington, public health strategist at Wood County Health Department. “Availability to tools that reduce harm and support recovery is the same as access to AEDs and even pharmaceuticals for the management of hypertension or diabetes.”
Harm reduction is an approach that emphasizes engaging directly with people who use drugs to prevent overdose and infectious disease transmission, improve the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of those served, and offer low-threshold options to accessing substance use disorder treatment and other health care services.
The approach saves lives by being available and accessible in a manner that emphasizes the need for humility and compassion toward people who are using drugs. Harm reduction plays a significant role in preventing drug-related deaths and offers access to healthcare, social services, and treatment. These services decrease overdose fatalities, acute life-threatening infections related to unsterile drug injection, and chronic diseases such as HIV/HCV.
“We know that there is use in our communities and while we provide treatment, everyone is in a different spot in their recovery,” said Sheila Weix, Director of Substance Abuse Services, Family Health Center of Marshfield, Inc. “Some are not ready for change and some will relapse in their recovery process. Having this life saving medication more available will help save lives until individuals are ready for recovery or until they have the tools and resources needed for sustained recovery.”
