The life-saving treatment Narcan has been available for the first time at Falmouth beaches this year.
This comes as local nonprofits are working to improve access to the medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose.
Narcan has been in the first-aid kits of Falmouth’s lifeguards and parking attendants this summer.
Doris Kraemer is Cape Cod Family Liaison for nonprofit Learn to Cope.
She said she met with Falmouth’s Beach Committee to advocate for having access.
“It's so important to have this during the busy summer season, and that they’ve adopted this unanimously is really a testament to the town commitment toward saving lives of people suffering with opioid addiction.”
The AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod gave lifeguards training on how to administer Narcan, as well as athletic trainers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Medical staff have Narcan on-hand for Cape League games this summer.
Kraemer said access to the treatment at games is important with how spread out ballparks are across the Cape.
“It could take a great deal of time for emergency vehicles to respond. Having Narcan readily available in each dugout will just help everybody who’s in attendance at those games.”
Kraemer said she hopes Cape Cod residents stay in touch with local officials about how towns plan to spend their portions of opioid settlement funds coming to the region.
