A Guide To Finding and Using Naloxone in Utah
What is Naloxone?
Naloxone is a medication that can be used to reverse or slow the effects of an opioid overdose. This may potentially save someone’s life and give them time to reach a hospital. As the underground drug supply becomes more and more unpredictable due to additives and fillers, this medication is a great way to keep folks safe and prevent fatal overdoses.
If you are looking for Narcan in Utah, you are simply looking for naloxone under a different name! Narcan is the most well-known brand name for this drug, which can reverse an overdose. Naloxone can be administered through a nasal spray or an injection–both methods are equally effective. We will focus on naloxone nasal spray in this post.
An opioid overdose happens when the opioid receptors in someone’s brain are completely blocked. This can stop breathing and lead to death. When you administer naloxone, the drug knocks opioids free from those receptors, allowing breathing and oxygen flow to resume. This makes it a crucial tool for overdose prevention.
While not guaranteed to prevent an overdose, naloxone can make a difference and save lives. Sometimes multiple doses are required to bring someone back from an overdose. We’ll cover the details of how to give someone naloxone later in this post.
Why Should I Carry Naloxone?
At Salt Lake Harm Reduction Project, we often say that you can’t use naloxone on yourself. Carrying Narcan or naloxone is a decision we make to keep other people safe in our community, whether that’s a friend, neighbor, or stranger. Utah has high rates of opioid use and overdose. According to the CDC, Utah has the highest rate of nonfatal overdoses in the United States.
That last fact is both troubling and encouraging. While it indicates high levels of overdose in Utah, it also suggests more people are surviving long enough to be treated at the hospital. Making it easier to get naloxone in Utah is likely contributing to this trend.
Many people think that they don’t need to carry naloxone unless they are regularly sharing space with people who use drugs. It’s important to note that we aren’t always aware when people in our lives are using substances, even if the drugs are obtained legally. An opioid overdose may be the result of a prescription drug rather than illegal drug use, so you never know who may need help.
Many libraries and other public services are also beginning to provide Narcan to help people who overdose in bathrooms, in public parks, or simply in their car or out on the street. Carrying this life-saving drug in your car or your purse can be a great idea, just in case you encounter someone in distress. We can all do our part to embrace harm reduction and keep our neighbors safe!
Where to get Naloxone in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake Harm Reduction Project has recently made it even easier to obtain naloxone or Narcan in Salt Lake City. Our staff has been distributing the medication during office hours for many years, but in August of 2025, we added a self-serve drop box.
Our Naloxey Boxey is like a Little Free Library, except instead of books, it contains doses of naloxone and materials that teach people when and how to administer Narcan. This box is located outside of our office at 1400 South 1100 East in Salt Lake City.
This means naloxone and resources are available 24/7 to anyone who needs them. Because of the stigma around drug use, we understand not everyone is comfortable accessing this medication. We’ve made it easy to obtain privately and without having to speak to someone. With that said, our staff is always happy to provide the drug and answer questions about using it safely.
We also provide other supplies at our office for safe drug use. This includes needle exchange, safe injection kits, drug test strips for fentanyl and xylazine and more. Visit the services tab on our main website for more information on the resources we offer, all free of charge.
Our office isn’t the only place you can get naloxone. Many other organizations doing harm reduction in Salt Lake City and Utah generally carry both nasal spray and intramuscular injection kits. It is also becoming more common for nonprofits that provide resources to have naloxone available.
You may wonder if you need a prescription for naloxone in Utah, and the answer is no. Although, some doctors still write prescriptions for it. Anyone can pick up naloxone or Narcan from a pharmacy without a prescription.
Pharmacies often charge for the drug, with prices ranging from $50 to $200. However, there are a variety of places that will give it out for free, including Salt Lake Harm Reduction Project. The cost of naloxone should never be a barrier to access.
Here are some other locations that give out naloxone for free in Utah:
How To Administer Naloxone
With the risk of overdose on illicit drugs or prescription medication on the rise, it’s important to know how to administer Narcan or naloxone. If you come across someone experiencing an overdose, their condition may be life-threatening. Giving this life-saving medical intervention can delay an overdose and keep them safe long enough to receive further care. This also keeps the door open for them to access treatment programs or other long-term care.
The video below gives simple, step-by-step instructions for giving someone naloxone. We will outline the steps in text below as well.
Step 1: Call EMS or other emergency services for help.
Step 2: Remove the drug from its packaging and place your thumb on the plunger while holding the delivery system.
Step 3: Tilt the person’s head back and place the nozzle inside either of their nostrils.
Step 4: Insert the nozzle until your other fingers are touching their nose.
Step 5: Depress the plunger firmly until the entire dose has been administered.
Step 6: Wait 2-3 minutes for the person to respond.
Step 7: If they don’t respond, administer another dose through the other nostril. Alternate nostrils as you deliver doses.
Step 8: You can administer more doses until help arrives or the person responds. Sometimes it takes 1-4 doses to revive someone. At SHRP, we believe it’s crucial to give someone as much and as little naloxone as they need, since too much of the medication can put someone into opioid withdrawal. Waiting 2-3 minutes between dosing helps to give the medication time to work.
Naloxone or Narcan does not cause harm to someone who is not experiencing an overdose, so there is very little risk when administering the drug. If you’re not sure it’s an opioid overdose. It’s generally better to be safe than sorry.
The side effects of naloxone are generally limited, and may include things like discomfort in the noise, an unpleasant smell or taste, loss of strength, or in some cases the patient may become lightheaded or dizzy. They may also experience stomach pain.
Is Naloxone legal in Utah?
Naloxone is legal to use or carry in Utah, and it is safe to use. There is a standing order in Utah that allows pharmacists to distribute naloxone without a prescription.
In the past, naloxone was illegal in Utah. In 2014, Utah passed a bill making it legal for non-medical personnel to carry and administer the drug to save a life. The effort to increase access to naloxone was expanded in 2016 with a bill that allows people to access the drug without a prescription.
While it’s legal to possess and administer the drug, people may be afraid to contact emergency responders in the case of an overdose. According to opidemic.utah.gov/naloxone/, if you call 911 you are legally protected from charges relating to that person or their overdose.
However, you must remain at the scene until responders arrive and cooperate when they get there. You can be charged if you call 911 and leave the scene, and that person later dies.
The same source indicates that while possessing illegal drugs is still a crime, if you call 911 “it is very unlikely that you will be arrested” in connection with calling 911.
Fear of prosecution makes sense, but it is unlikely you will be charged if you are acting in good faith to save someone’s life. We encourage everyone to seek proper medical care if they encounter someone who is overdosing.