Two local facilities will be offering free education, training and Narcan (Naloxone) to the community in February to help prevent overdose deaths in the community.

The Jessamine County Homeless Coalition will host a free Narcan Training from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 at their facility.

Johnny Templin, Executive Director of the JCHC, said the Narcan that they will be handing out was designed for children.

“It was designed so that a child, at the minimum age of 7 years old, could administer Narcan to their family member or parent who is experiencing a heroin overdose,” Templin said.

Each Narcan kit, containing two Narcan nasal dosages, would normally be $3,700 out of pocket but will be free of charge thanks to Stop Heroin Lexington — a non-profit located in Lexington that educates locals on the dangers of addiction.

There is no age restriction on who can come to the training, which will take around 20 minutes, Templin said.

“The goal of the event is to get as much Narcan out as possible,” he said. “People don’t know how life-saving it is.”

Templin said 60 to 80 percent of those coming to the shelter have or are currently facing addiction.

“Out of the 70 clients we have treated since we opened, five are seeking addiction treatment at a licensed facility and five wanted to but left before they could do so,” Templin said. “I hope we never have an overdose here (at the shelter) and that it’s not an issue but it (addiction) is a reality.”

Those who want to go to the JCHC Free Narcan Training should RSVP on their Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/jchcky/

The Jessamine County Health Department will also be giving away Naloxone (Narcan) this month.

In a partnership with The Kentucky Department of Public Health, a mobile pharmacy will be in the parking lot across from the Health Department in Nicholasville from 2 to 6 p.m. on Feb. 27.

“Anyone can come and receive the Narcan once they have been trained,” Jessamine County Public Health Director, Randy Gooch, said. “There will also be education on HIV testing and Hepatitis C.”

Gooch said each individual participating in the event will be given training, a kit and a prescription for the Narcan.

In the future, the Health Department will also be partnering with University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy to host a monthly event educating participants about Narcan.

“We’ve seen an increase in overdose deaths,” Gooch said. “We want to provide help like we have with the Syringe Exchange Program.”

For more information on the JCHD’s free Naloxone event, visit their website at http://www.jessaminehealth.org/.