EVERETT, Wash. — A grant in Snohomish County that has provided funding for local municipalities to supply the opioid reversal drug naloxone is coming to an end. But county leaders say it's an opportunity to give cities more options when it comes to providing the life-saving drug.
The grant started in 2015 as a pilot prom, and it helped fund naloxone, also known as Narcan, to city law enforcement agencies and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department.
Snohomish County’s Department of Human Services said, starting in 2020, law enforcement departments can apply for county funding or pay for it themselves.
County leaders said one of the benefits of agencies funding it themselves is there is less paperwork involved and cities do not have to be under county oversight.
“If they get the funding from the county, they enter into a contract with us and have to report back to us,” said Mary Jane Brell Vujovic, director of Snohomish County’s Human Services Department.
Data provided by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office showed officers administering Narcan has saved the lives of 259 people since the start of the pilot program in 2015.
The numbers also showed that Everett police officers administered 110 doses of Narcan, the highest of any agency on the list. Most of the other cities didn't break double digits.
Brell Vujovic said Narcan costs can range from $1,500 to $10,000 annually, depending on the city.
Starting in 2020, if a city chooses to apply for funding through the county, it will need to be approved by a committee. Brell Vujovic said she doesn’t expect requests to be denied.
"For the sheriff’s office and our contract cities (Stanwood, Snohomish, Granite Falls, Sultan and Gold Bar), we have resupplied all of our patrol units with kits," said Shari Ireton, director of Communications for the Snohomish County Sheriff's Department. "They have a two-year expiration date, so that will easily carry us through the beginning of 2021. Going forward, we are committed to ensuring our staff have access to Naloxone and we are seeking alternative funding sources."