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Religious leaders in Stark County are taking new steps in an effort to reduce opioid overdoses.
Participating houses of worship will help distribute naloxone to anyone who needs it.
Naloxone is already available county wide. But some people are not comfortable going into health centers to get the lifesaving drug.
Rev. Walter Moss is president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Association of Stark County and vicinity. He said providing naloxone is about helping the community.
“We’re concerned about people’s souls,” Moss said. “But we’re also concerned about their health.”
Moss said their goal is to get naloxone kits into the hands of those who need it, including the homeless, overdose survivors and members of the African-American community who may not use opioids but could be exposed to other drugs contaminated with them.
The effort is being funded by a grant from the Ohio Department of Health.
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