A location in Butler County will receive free naloxone kits next week from a state program.

On Sept. 18 and 25, the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf will provide free naloxone at 95 locations across the state to any state resident as part of the administration’s ongoing effort to reduce the number of opioid overdoses and get residents into treatment.

“The life-saving medication naloxone is essential for every resident to have on hand, particularly if you have a loved one suffering from opioid-use disorder,” Wolf said.

The Butler County State Health Center’s Monarch Building, 100 Burgh Ave., Suite 201, in Butler, will distribute the kits.

Naloxone is a medication that is used to reverse an overdose caused by an opioid by blocking the effects of opioids on the brain.

Dr. Rachel Levine, the state’s secretary of health, issued a standing order prescription to get naloxone at a pharmacy for anyone who might need it.

“It is impossible to get someone into treatment who is dead,” Levine said. “In 2018, more than 4,400 people died from a drug overdose.”

In addition to being able to get naloxone free on Sept. 18 and 25, it is carried at most pharmacies across the state year-round. Naloxone is available at pharmacies to those with public and private insurance for free or at a low cost.