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Naloxone (Narcan): How to Reverse an Opioid Overdose in Grand Rapids

Naloxone (Narcan) is a safe, easy-to-use medication that can reverse an opioid overdose in minutes. In Michigan you can get it without a prescription, and the law protects you for helping. Here's how to recognize an overdose and respond. Find comprehensive healthcare information and local resources in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Plain-language policy Reviewed by John Shim

Naloxone and Opioid Overdose in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Opioid overdoses — from prescription painkillers, heroin, and especially illicitly made fentanyl — remain a serious problem across Kent County and Michigan. The most important thing to know: most overdose deaths are preventable if someone nearby has naloxone and knows how to use it. Naloxone (brand name Narcan) is a safe medication that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, and it does no harm if opioids aren’t the cause.

If you or someone you love uses opioids — or you simply want to be ready to help a neighbor — keeping naloxone on hand can save a life.

Recognize an opioid overdose

Signs include:

  • Won’t wake up or won’t respond to a loud voice or a firm rub on the chest
  • Slow, shallow, or stopped breathing (or gurgling/snoring sounds)
  • Blue or gray lips, fingertips, or skin
  • Tiny, “pinpoint” pupils
  • Limp body

When in doubt, treat it as an overdose — naloxone is safe to give even if you’re not sure.

How to respond

  1. Call 911 right away. Say someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
  2. Give naloxone. For the nasal spray, tilt the head back, insert the nozzle in one nostril, and press the plunger. (No assembly, no needle.)
  3. Start rescue breathing or CPR if you’re trained and the person isn’t breathing.
  4. If there’s no response in 2–3 minutes, give a second dose. Fentanyl may require more than one.
  5. Stay until help arrives and lay the person on their side (recovery position) so they don’t choke.

Naloxone wears off in 30–90 minutes, so the person still needs medical care even if they wake up.

In Michigan, you’re protected for helping

  • Michigan’s Good Samaritan Law protects people who call 911 for an overdose from certain drug-possession charges — so call for help without fear.
  • Michigan law also shields you from liability when you give naloxone in good faith to someone who appears to be overdosing.

Where to get naloxone in Grand Rapids

Thanks to Michigan’s statewide standing order, any pharmacy in Michigan can dispense naloxone without an individual prescription — you can ask for it by name at the pharmacy counter, and Narcan nasal spray is also sold over the counter. Other local options:

  • The Grand Rapids Red Project distributes naloxone and offers harm-reduction services.
  • Network180 (Kent County’s community mental-health authority) can connect you to substance-use treatment and resources.
  • Find naloxone near you through the Michigan MDHHS naloxone locator (link in Sources).

You don’t have to face opioid use alone — recovery support is available locally.

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