New program seeks to stop overdoses and provide second chances by shipping free Narcan

ATLANTA — Chandler Seklecki knows how Narcan can be both life-saving and life-changing.

Seklecki battled addiction to opioids for 23 years. He says without Narcan, he likely would not be alive today.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

“Narcan has saved my life, my brothers, and a couple of my very close friends,” Seklecki said.

However, now he is sober and working with the Georgia Harm Reduction Coalition (GHRC) to make sure others get the same second chance he did.

“A second chance for me is to have an opportunity to have a happy and purposeful life. Give back, you know, work this current job, have a relationship with my family, live a purposeful life,” Seklecki said.

Last September, the GHRC partnered with NextDistro to ship free Narcan to people in Georgia.

“This particular service allows us to reach unreachable spaces,” GHRC CEO Dr. Mojgan Zare said. “To make sure we put a stop to these accidental overdoses that are costing Georgians their lives.”

So far, the program has sent Narcan to more than 1,300 people and reversed more than 60 overdoses.

“That number is very underreported,” Dr Zare said.

Zare said those are only the number of reversals reported and expects the number to be even higher. However, those 60 reversals represent saved lives.

“That’s 60 people’s sons, mothers, daughters, and cousins. These are human beings,” Seklecki said.

TRENDING STORIES:

• School system announces death of 10th-grader at Calhoun High School
• Special prosecutor Nathan Wade comes to ‘temporary agreement’ in divorce, canceling court hearing
• Buc-ee’s officially breaks ground on new location in Georgia

In each pack, which can be requested here, people will get four doses of Narcan, along with instructions and resources on where to get help.

Seklecki now works for the GHRC packing up Narcan, which he hopes will save lives and help people find a better life.

“It’s another life. It could be my life. It could be someone else life. These are all people. The idea is to keep them alive,” Seklecki said. “To expand our organization and reach every corner of Georgia to keep people alive long enough to hopefully find a better quality of life.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

Atlanta mother asks to reopen investigation into her son’s death after it was ruled a drug overdose

©2023 Cox Media Group