© 2025 WEKU
NPR for Northern, Central and Eastern Kentucky
WEKU
Fresh Air Weekend
WEKU
Fresh Air Weekend
Next Up: 4:00 PM Reveal
0:00
0:00
Fresh Air Weekend
WEKU
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Public Media funding has been eliminated. You can help! WEKU is working to make up the $240-thousand dollar annual loss in funds. Join our 1850 Campaign. 1850 donors giving at least $10 a month. We are down to 1165 to go! Click here to support WEKU!

Lexington Heroin Overdoses Prompt Increased Narcan Use

wkyt.com

A combination of public and private funds is being used in Lexington to help cover the cost of drugs used to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. 

Lexington leaders accepted a donation from a local bank Tuesday at the council work session.

A second $25,000 donation from a Lexington-based bank will be used to help pay for additional doses of the drug Narcan, often administered to those overdosed on heroin. 

Police Chief Mark Barnard says it’s taking more Narcan to try to save heroin users.

“What we’re seeing is people needing six, seven doses from our fire personnel to bring them back around.  So, we’re seeing people are getting more resistance to the Narcan or I don’t know what it is scientifically, but it’s making it more difficult to bring people back from the states that they are in,” explained Barnard.

 

Fire Chief Kristin Chilton says first responders administered about 16 hundred doses of the rescue drug last year. 

 

If current trends continue, she says, that figure could number around 2000 by year’s end.

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.
Related Content