Free naloxone on June 18: Where to get it in NJ, how to use it

TRENTON — On Tuesday, June 18, participating pharmacies across New Jersey will give away up to 20,000 twin packs of naloxone, an opioid antidote that's been credited with saving countless lives.

The giveaway is for people who know anyone addicted to heroin and opioids.

In the story below, you can find a list of pharmacies in your county that are participating in the state program. You will not need a prescription.

Also below: Instructions and video on how to use the medication.

The state is spending $1.5 million to provide the one-day handouts. The funds are part of the Murphy administration's $100 million opioid initiative.

More than 3,000 people died from overdoses in the state last year while emergency responders used the antidote more than 16,000 times.

Naloxone, more commonly known by the brand name Narcan, can cost anywhere from $7 to $70, depending on insurance co-pays.

There's been an effort to get the medication into more people's hands, with plans in the state to keep stocks of it in hotels, college campuses and handing it out to released prisoners.

STOP SAYING ADDICTION IS NOT A MENTAL ILLNESS

A recent study in New Jersey found that pharmacies in areas hardest hit by the opioid epidemic were less likely to have naloxone in stock.

Recognizing an overdose

Someone who is overdosing will be unresponsive.

According to the Harm Reduction Coalition, signs include: slow or shallow breathing; choking or a snore-like gurgling sound; vomiting; change in color in skin, fingernails and lips.

Call 911 before beginning to administer the medication. A single dose of naloxone may not be enough to revive a person or an overdose victim may appear responsive before.

How to use Naloxone

New Jersey 101.5's Heroin Uncut series had a three-minute tutorial on using naloxone or Narcan. You can watch in the video above and read the tutorial below.

To assemble the kit:

• Pop the yellow bottom off the delivery device.
• Pop the purple top off the medication cartridge.
• Insert the medication cartridge into the delivery device, twisting gently if you need to.
• Take the yellow lid off the delivery device and screw the atomizer onto the top.

When it's done, you'll have a syringe with the atomizer at the end. Press the back, and it'll release a fine mist. Spray half into one nostril, and half into the other.

For Narcan instructions, see this video:

A first-hand experience

Where to get it on June 18

Atlantic County

Walgreens — 1723 Pacific Ave, Atlantic City
Walgreens — 3218 Atlantic Ave, Atlantic City
CVS — 6815 Tilton Road, Egg Harbor Twp
Walgreens — 2247 Ocean Heights Ave, Egg Harbor Twp
Walmart — 6801 Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Twp
CVS — 327 S Pitney Rd, Galloway
Walmart — 631 US Hwy 9 South, Little Egg Harbor
Walmart — 4620 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing
CVS — 191 New Rd, Somers Point

Bergen County

Buckley’s Drug Store — 35 E Palisade Ave, Englewood
Walmart — 174 Passaic St, Garfield
Levy’s Pharmacy — 299 Stuyvesant Ave, Lyndhurst
Walgreens — 72 Crescent Ave, Waldwick
RiteAID — 265 Pascack Road, Washington Twp

Burlington County

Boyd’s of Bordentown — 118 Farnsworth Ave, Bordentown
Mast Pharmacy and Surgical — 338 Farnsworth Ave, Bordentown
Powers Pharmacy — 558 Lakehurst Rd, Browns Mills
Walmart — 2501 Route 130 S, Cinnaminson
Boyd’s of Florence — 306 Broad St, Florence
RiteAID — 235 N Maple Ave, Marlton
Walmart — 150 E St Hwy 70, Marlton
RiteAID — 409 Stokes Road, Medford
Larchmont Pharmacy — 200 Larchmont Blvd, Mount Laurel
Walmart — 934 St Hwy 73 @ Fellowship Rd, Mount Laurel
Walgreens — 7001 Route 130, Riverside
Hometown Pharmacy — 1805 US-206, Southampton
RiteAID — 217 Sunset Road, Willingboro

Camden County

RiteAID — 375 Whitehorse Pike, Atco
RiteAID — 501 Clements Bridge Rd, Barrington
CVS — 1 West White Horse Pike, Berlin
CVS — 701 College Drive, Blackwood
ShopRite Pharmacy of Brooklawn — Route 130 & Browning Road, Brooklawn
Bell Pharmacy — 1201 Haddon Av, Camden
CVS — 3004 Mount Ephraim Ave, Camden
RiteAID — 1426 Mtount Ephraim Ave, Camden
RiteAID — 2 South Broadway, Camden
Walgreens — 2626 Federal St, Camden
CVS — 100 Springdale Rd, Cherry Hill
CVS — 600 Kings Hwy N, Cherry Hill
RiteAID — 823 Cooper Landing Road, Cherry Hill
ShopRite Pharmacy of Garden St Pavilion — 2230 Route 70 West, Cherry Hill
ShopRite Pharmacy of Laurel Hill — 1224 Blackwood Clementon Rd, Clementon
CVS — 455 S Broadway, Gloucester City
ShopRite Pharmacy of Lawnside — 130 White Horse Pike N, Lawnside
CVS — 24 S Black Horse Pike, Mount Ephraim
CVS — 7500 Maple Ave, Pennsauken
CVS — 4315 Marlton Pike @ Henshaw, Pennsauken
RiteAID — 4902 Westfield Avenue, Pennsauken
Walgreens — 4601 Westfield Ave, Pennsauken
CVS — 589 Berlin Cross Keys Road, Sicklerville
Walmart — 1 Coopertowne Blvd, Somerdale
CVS — 69 S White Horse Pike, Stratford
CVS — 1000 Kresson Rd, Voorhees
Medilink RxCare — 709 County Rte 561, Voorhees

Cape May County

CVS — 11 Court House South Dennis Rd, Cape May Court House
Cape Village Pharmacies — 38 Tuckahoe Road, Marmora
ShopRite Pharmacy of Rio Grande — 1700 Route 47 South, Rio Grande
Walgreens — 3300 Route 9 S, Rio Grande

Cumberland County

RiteAID — 52 E Broad Street, Bridgeton
Walgreens — 25 E Broad St, Bridgeton
CVS — 1209 North High St., Millville
RiteAID — 907 North High Street, Millville
ShopRite Pharmacy of Millville — 2130 North 2nd Street, Millville
ShopRite Pharmacy of Upper Deerfield — 1000 Pearl Street, Upper Deerfield
CVS — 1163 E. Chestnut Ave., Vineland
RiteAID — 7 West Landis Ave, Vineland
ShopRite Pharmacy of Landis Ave — 3600 East Landis Avenue, Vineland
ShopRite Pharmacy of Vineland — 1255 W Landis Ave, Vineland

Essex County

ShopRite Pharmacy of Belleville — 726 Washington Ave, Belleville
ShopRite Pharmacy of Brookdale — 1409 Broad Street, Bloomfield
Stop and Shop Supermaket — 8 Franklin Street, Bloomfield
Lexann Pharmacy & Wellness Ctr — 333 Central Ave, East Orange
ShopRite Pharmacy of East Orange — 533 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, East Orange
Walgreens — 508 Main Street, East Orange
Abel’s Pharmacy — 635 Grove St Irvington, Irvington
RiteAID — 104 12th Avenue, Newark
ShopRite Pharmacy of Newark — 206 Springfield Ave, Newark
Walgreens — 61 Ferry St, Newark
Walgreens — 361 Bergen St, Newark