Community Naloxone Program

The Community Naloxone program

In 2024, the Northampton Recovery Center became an authorized partner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Community Naloxone Program (CNP). The goal of the CNP is to prevent death from opioid overdose by increasing distribution of free naloxone to community bystanders across Massachusetts.

The NRC is is committed to providing our community with Narcan (the brand name for the generic medication naloxone), an easy-to-use, life-saving medication used to treat opioid overdoses. The program aims to help lower the occurrence of opioid-related overdoses, reduce the stigma surrounding substance use, and to promote a safe and healthy community.

We offer Narcan, and the proper training to administer it, to any individual or organization, at NO COST. Please reach out to our Program Coordinator, Trevor Dayton at tdayton@wmtcinfo.org or call the NRC directly at 413.834.4127 for more information.

What is narcan (Naloxone) and how does it work?

Narcan is a life-saving medication designed to rapidly counteract the effects of an opioid overdose. It works by attaching to the same brain receptors that opioids target, effectively blocking their impact and restoring normal breathing, which can be compromised during an overdose. This medication is safe, highly effective, and simple to use, often administered through a convenient nasal spray. It has few known adverse effects, and carries no potential for abuse.

How Naloxone works

This short animation depicts how Naloxone, an opioid overdose-reversal medication, works in the body. For more information, please visit https://www.samhsa.gov/