REDDING, Calif. — Employees at a Redding restaurant and bar are staying prepared as they say they’re seeing the dangers of the fentanyl epidemic.
At The Shack in Redding, employees keep a ready supply of Narcan.
Bartender and server Julie Mason said this is provided by a local health department.
Their staff members all know how to use the medication to help someone experiencing an opioid overdose.
Mason believes all bars and gas stations should have it on hand.
“So many people are using fentanyl, and they’re dying from it every single day,” Mason said. “It’s so, so important because you could save somebody’s life. It’s in the park, in the public bathrooms, it’s in the gas station bathrooms, it’s behind buildings, it’s everywhere. And it’s not going away anytime soon. So at this point, we need to take matters in our own hands and make sure that our establishments are safe.”
According to California Health Policy Strategies, over 7,100 people in the state died from fentanyl-related overdoses in 2023.
Earlier this year, the CDC said they predict a nearly 24% drop in U.S. drug overdose deaths for the 12 months ending in September 2024 compared to the previous year, saying the distribution of the Narcan medication, naloxone, is a contributing factor.
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