BEAUFORT, S.C. — Bright purple boxes standing outside public libraries in Beaufort County, S.C., hold something county health leaders hope more residents will carry: free naloxone, the nasal spray sold as Narcan that can reverse an opioid overdose.
The kiosks are run by Nexus Care, the county’s alcohol and drug department, in partnership with the Beaufort County Library System. Each one can hold up to 65 boxes of the medication, and no one is asked questions before taking a box.
Library sites include the Beaufort Library at 311 Scott St., the Port Royal Branch Library at 1408 Paris Ave. and the St. Helena Branch Library at 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, along with branches in Bluffton, Lobeco and on Hilton Head Island. County government buildings also host kiosks.
County leaders said more than 150 people died of overdoses in Beaufort County between 2015 and 2022, a toll that pushed them to put the drug within easy reach. Money for the program comes from the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund Board, which uses lawsuit settlement dollars from drug makers, not local tax money.
Nexus Care staff stress that the spray is a bridge, not a cure. It works on anyone and does no harm if the person turns out not to be overdosing, but its effect can fade in roughly half an hour, so someone should call 911 right away. Signs of an overdose include slow or stopped breathing, blue lips or fingertips, no response and very small pupils.
Recovery advocates also urge people who use drugs never to use alone, since a person cannot give the spray to themselves. Nexus Care offers free test strips to check what is in a drug, and South Carolina’s Good Samaritan Law protects people who give naloxone in good faith from civil liability.
The department also provides treatment for opioid use disorder, including counseling and medication-assisted care. Free assessments are available by calling 843-255-6000 in Beaufort or 843-255-6020 in Bluffton.
Filed under: Savannah GA Health News
