Fentress County the first Tennessee county to participate in the Leave Behind Program, distributing overdose reversal kits.
Fentress Sheriff Department Narcotics Officer Anthony Gunter said the kits are brought to overdose scenes.
“So we leave these kits with the individuals or the individual’s friends or family, whoever is with them at the time that they overdose,” Gunter said. “To maybe help save their, you know if they need to save their life down the road if they do not reach out for help.”
Gunter said the kits are important because it gives people resources without them going out and searching for help. He said there are cards in the kit with information on recovery programs and help with addiction.
Gunter said the kits are not available to the public but are specifically left behind when officers are called out on an overdose situation.
“We will give a kit to the individual who has overdosed if we can revive them, get them back,” Gunter said. “Or to the person who called.”
Gunter said the kit contains Narcan, gloves and 10 fentanyl test strips. He said the test strips help determine if fentanyl may have caused the overdose.
“Heroin, pills, just about any drug you can think of can have fentanyl in it.”
Suzanne Angel of the Drug Prevention Coalition Smith County obtained the kits for Fentress Sheriff’s Department.
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