PORT CLINTON – The Oak House launched a new program on Sept. 22 that will place 66 video-guided, public-access naloxone (Narcan) systems, called ONEbox® Classic, across Ottawa County. The systems are designed as an “AED for overdose” and will go in high-traffic settings and places where overdoses are most likely to occur, including recovery houses, local restaurants, and other public locations.

The Ohio Department of Health’s 2023 Unintentional Drug Overdose Report recorded six unintentional drug overdose deaths among Ottawa County residents in 2023 and an average age-adjusted county rate of 33.9 deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2023. A meta-analysis found that when a bystander administers naloxone, the odds of surviving an overdose are more than eight times higher than without it. Placement matters because a bystander must be able to reach the medication, call 911, and act while emergency medical services are on the way.

“Overdose response has to be close enough and clear enough for any bystander to use in the first critical moments,” said April Fenton, Director of Oak House. “We’re putting these systems in the places people already know and use because a year from now, we want naloxone access to feel like a normal part of community safety across our region. It could be a toddler who found a pill, a friend whose drink was spiked, or someone who mixed up medications. Naloxone is for anyone because accidents don’t discriminate.”

As the nation’s AED for overdose, ONEbox differs from a naloxone cabinet or lockbox because the response guidance begins when the unit is opened. A five-inch screen automatically plays a one-minute emergency video in English and Spanish, and a separate five-minute training mode lets staff and community members prepare before an emergency. A QR code links to the same instructions on a smartphone as a backup. In a suspected opioid overdose, a bystander should call 911, give naloxone (known often by the brand name of Narcan), and stay to support as naloxone does not replace emergency medical care.

Rapid Risk Reduction (R3) is supplying the ONEbox systems and supporting Oak House as a project partner. The project is supported by the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department through an Ohio Department of Health grant, with Toledo-Lucas County Health Department supplying the naloxone Oak House will stock. Residents can contact Oak House to ask about public unit locations.

“The good folk at Oak House know their communities and the places where a bystander is most likely to need clear overdose response guidance,” said Taylor Golden, Chief Research and Development Officer at Rapid Risk Reduction (R3). “Our role is to help turn that local knowledge into enduring overdose response infrastructure that people can use while emergency services are on the way.”

The Oak House has several ONEbox® systems available to give away to businesses and organizations in Ottawa County. To enquire about receiving one, call April Fenton at 419-734-4417.

For more information about Oak House, visit www.oakhousepc.org. For more information about ONEbox®, visit www.oneboxready.com.