LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Department of Health and Wellness are providing free Fentanyl test strips and Narcan kits to keep the public safe and help with opioid overdoses.  

"It's extremely dangerous. I mean I would scale it as a ten," said Takeisha Nunez Health Education Coordinator at UK Health. 

Fentanyl test strips are small strips of paper used to detect fentanyl in different types of drugs including pills, powders and injectables. A small amount of the drug is dissolved in water and the test strip is dipped in, providing results in five minutes.

Narcan is used to reverse an opioid overdose, and used quickly can save a life. Narcan is a safe and legal medicine that's available as a nasal spray, which is easy to administer. 

"People are going to do what they feel like they need to do for the moment, so it's not about you shouldn’t do X-Y-Z. It's about how can I help you be as safe as possible" said Nunez   

Because fentanyl is so strong, a very small amount can be fatal. Fentanyl is not only found in injectable drugs, but illegal fake prescription pills laced with the deadly drug. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that 6 out of the 10 fake pills they seize have fentanyl. 

There are some websites for parents to educate themselves and their children on the harmful effects of fentanyl. Dropthefbomb.com is a website for parents and guardians to use to educate themselves on the dangers of fentanyl, how to talk with their kids and how to use Narcan.

"Sometimes it takes several episodes before people can really stabilize sober, I have had several clients tell me stories about purchasing this substance and turns out they tested positive for fentanyl" said Missy Phelps, Division Director of Seven Counties.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a website on information on fentanyl test strip, how they work and how to use them. 

To obtain free fentanyl test strips, people can visit any of the health department's harm reduction locations or can email loumetrohealth@louisvilleky.gov for more information.

For the free Narcan kits, people can go to the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness at 400 E. Gray Street Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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