Portage County offering free hope kits
For the Gazette
PORTAGE COUNTY – With the rise in substances containing fentanyl, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Portage County Health and Human Services (PCHHS) are warning parents this Halloween weekend to be mindful of “rainbow fentanyl.”
PCHHS said that rainbow fentanyl are “fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes – is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults.”
“Additional substances to be mindful of are THC and Nicotine gummies/lozenges, colored methamphetaminesand heroin to look like Sweet Tarts or Smarties, and chalk fentanyl,” stated a department release.
PCHHS provided the following safety tips for parents when going through their child’s candy:
Do not eat candy before you sort it and check it at home
Remove choking hazards for young children
Discard of homemade goods, unless you know the maker
When in doubt, throw it out
To be best prepared, Portage County’s Division of Public Health is partnering with Stevens Point Fire/EMS, Plover Fire/EMS, and Amherst Fire/EMS to offer free “Hope Kits.” Each Hope Kit includes:
1 kit (two doses) of Narcan nasal spray
Fentanyl test strips
Sterile water
Local and national resources
1 pair of sterile, vinyl gloves
1 CPR face shield
Hope Kits will be available all day Oct. 29-31. Additional kits are always available at the Ruth Gilfry Center, located at: 817 Whiting Ave, Stevens Point, WI, 54481.