SEATTLE — Staff at Seattle Public Library facilities will soon be allowed to volunteer to administer Naloxone (Narcan) to visitors if they appear to be overdosing on opioids.
The Seattle Public Library said it has been working with the City Attorney's Office and looking at other city departments' practices to review the legal and safety issues around allowing staff to administer the potentially life-saving medicine. The review began in part because staff had expressed interest in having access to the medicine, according to the library.
The library said staff will only administer naloxone on a volunteer basis and that the availability of the medicine at its locations will depend on the number of volunteers.
Naloxone is not yet available at Seattle Public Library facilities but it said the medicine has been ordered and will eventually be placed in first aid kits. Training will also be offered to staff who are interested in becoming a volunteer, according to the Seattle Public Library. The library said it expects these steps to be completed within the next few months.
In the event a volunteer administers Narcan, staff members will still call 911 and rely on the Seattle Fire Department for addressing such events.
The library said providing naloxone in the event of an emergency is meant to add an additional layer of emergency assistance.
In July, the King County Council declared fentanyl a public health crisis. More than 425 people have died from fentanyl overdoses as of Thursday, Sept. 29. 385 people died from fentanyl overdose in all of 2021.
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