Thursday, October 1, 2026
Naloxone is increasingly within reach in Thurston County. Vending machines now dispense the drug and wall-mounted boxes are being installed in outlying areas.
Emergency teams are also using buprenorphine to treat opiod use disorder and new treatment clinics are being opened by the Chehalis and Nisqually tribes.
The growth of the overdose response program has been rapid in the region, and county leaders underscored its importance by adopting a proclamation declaring Aug. 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day.
The resolution was approved by the Thurston County Board of Health (BOH) at its meeting on Aug. 12.
The proclamation deemed overdose deaths preventable. It also recognized the impact of those deaths in every community and urged the public to support those pursuing recovery, while honoring lives already lost.
Expanding overdose response
Opioid and Overdose Response Program Manager Katie Strozyk explained how the use of nalozone has evolved in Thurston County over the last few years.
“We’ve got a tremendous amount of distribution points,” said Strozyk, listing behavioral health agencies, housing providers and syringe service sites, with vending machines and wall-mounted boxes extending reach to both urban and rural communities.
She added all law enforcement officers in Thurston County carry naloxone, while emergency medical teams have adopted new “leave behind” protocols wherein they leave kits at overdose scenes for future emergencies.
Emergency teams are also authorized to begin treatment in the field. Strozyk said responders can initiate buprenorphine or suboxone after nonfatal overdoses, and connect individuals to peer case managers within 24 to 48 hours.
“They are able to respond to a nonfatal overdose and have that person get offered buprenorphine or suboxone in the field,” said Strozyk, noting the link to case management brings access to treatment, housing and employment services.
The county has also increased community training sessions. Strozyk said the Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Department holds more than 100 overdose response trainings each year to instruct the public in administering naloxone.
Strozyk emphasized the medication is safe, not only for humans, but also for pets. County officials cited cases where animals ingested opioids and were revived.
Thurston County Board of County Commissioner Vice Chair Wayne Fournier recounted a July 15 incident in Lacey where a puppy overdosed on fentanyl after its owner collapsed in a parked car.
Fournier said firefighters on a basic life support engine found the animal unresponsive inside and administered naloxone through the nose, reviving it at the scene.
The puppy, now named Espresso, was transferred to Seattle Humane for follow-up care. The shelter reported Espresso has made a full recovery and is awaiting adoption.
“Espresso has been through a lot over the past week! He nearly died from a fentanyl overdose and had to be revived with Narcan,” wrote Seattle Humane in an Instagram update.
Prosecutors said the former owner faces criminal charges and is expected in court next week.
As prevention has widened, treatment availability has also increased. Strozyk pointed to inpatient programs within Thurston County and highlighted tribal programs.
The Chehalis Tribe’s Hope and Healing clinic in Tumwater is now open and delivering care in the community, and the Nisqually Tribe’s Generations Clinic is preparing to open with wraparound services, including primary and dental care.
Strozyk said both clinics show how care can address substance use disorder together with other health needs.
Board of Health member Heidi Knadel praised the placement of overdose prevention resources.
“It is amazing the creativity that goes into where you place those things,” remarked Knadel, pointing to naloxone in vending machines and wall-mounted boxes.
Strozyk credited community input for shaping naloxone distribution. She said people who use drugs often point out where the medication is most needed, where they feel safe picking it up and which locations they avoid.
The feedback mentioned, she explained, has allowed the county to place vending machines and boxes in areas that make the greatest impact.
Community voices framed the human toll.
Shannie Jenkins, a county resident, said her son Kyle died from heroin inhalation in 2017 at age 31 after a relapse.
She disclosed Kyle had been sober for two and a half years and was preparing to be a father. Six months later, his son Knox was born.
“This is not a moral failing, it’s a chronic disease, and until we treat it that way, with compassion and evidence-based care, we will continue to lose more lives,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said she has displayed banners in past years showing hundreds of faces of people lost to overdose. This year she plans to bring a video screen to an awareness event at Heritage Park to display their images throughout the day.
“When you see all those beautiful faces, it’s very overwhelming,” she said.
Board of Health Chair Beth Harvey then asked Jenkins how providers can assist grieving families. Jenkins called for people to talk openly and voice out their stories for awareness.
“Just talk about it,” she replied. “The more we talk about it … people want to talk about their child, or their family member.”
The proclamation now positions the county on record with families and public health officials in recognizing Aug. 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day.
To learn more about opioids, fentanyl, naloxone and other treatment options, the resolution encouraged the public to rely on statewide resources, such as StopOverdose.org and the 24-hour Recovery Help Line, and to take part in the Aug. 27 awareness event at Heritage Park.
In addition, to taking part in local prevention, the public can join the Thurston County Opioid Response Task Force or request Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Rescue Kit Training for workplaces, schools, and community organizations.
In order to prevent misuse of prescriptions, people can dispose of expired or unused medications at unwanted medications drop boxes located throughout the county.
To respond during an overdose emergency, bystanders are instructed to check for signs, call 911, administer naloxone if available, and remain with the individual until medical help arrives. The Washington State’s 911 Good Samaritan Law shields both the caller and victim from drug possession charges.
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The_Armed_Gardener
They want to help us die, https://endoflifewa.org/, and at the same time want us to be the living dead that we see on the streets, every day now. All the zombie movies were preparing us for this. But it's not the zombies that are trying to kill us. It's the housing authority and the health department.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Report this
LindaD
The emergency preparedness people say keep supplies of medicine so we don’t run out of pharmacies close and medicine is unavailable.
Others want us to dispose of medicine. I suppose if there’s “substance abuse disorder” people in the household that creates risk that must be considered but for the rest of us emergency preparedness is the way to go.
Thursday, August 21, 2025 Report this