The Evanston Health and Human Services Department has placed emergency opioid overdose boxes at five locations across the city in an effort to combat overdose deaths in the city.

Boxes have been placed at the Evanston Main Library, Robert Crown Community Center, Evanston Ecology Center, Levy Senior Center and Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center in a partnership with the city’s public library and parks and recreation department. Each box contains six kits with two doses of Naloxone, also known as Narcan, to be used in the event of an opioid overdose.

The boxes are in well traveled areas and open to the public so they can be reached quickly in the case of an emergency.

“This is something that we felt is necessary. We don’t want to wait until there is an epidemic to do something about it,” Evanston Health and Human Services Department Director Ike Ogbo said. “We don’t want to get to a point where it is overwhelming when it comes to hospitalizations and deaths.”

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The city isn’t currently facing an opioid epidemic but, according to Ogbo, there was a small uptick in overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a news release by the city, the city saw a total of 174 emergency room visits by Evanston residents as a result of opioid overdoses between Jan. 2022 and July 2023.

The Health and Human Services Department is tracking the data on opioid overdoses to remain on top of the issue. Ogbo credits residents knowledge of the dangers of opioid use to the low number of overdoses compared to other parts of the country, even with the presence of college students at Northwestern University.

In the event someone is experiencing an opioid overdose, 911 should be called immediately and Naloxone should be administered if possible. After administering the medication, stay on scene until paramedics arrive.

Naloxone can also be purchased at pharmacies and is available without prescription.

“We want to make sure that people have the kits that they need in order to improve,” Ogbo said. “We simply do not want to see our numbers rise, as a matter of fact, we want to see a reduction in numbers.”

For those struggling with opioid addiction, the Illinois Department of Human Services provides a 24/7 hotline at 833-234-6343 and additional resources can be found at ilhelpline.org.