2nd annual Resource Fair offers free Naloxone kits

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake County Health Department wrapped up its second annual Resource Fair on Saturday.

"We want to bridge the gap between public health and communities," Ayan Nor, health educator coordinator, said.

The event focused on raising awareness of what's already available. "These resources already exist, so we just want to make sure people know they already have access to them," she said.

The event was held at the Salt Lake County Government Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but Salt Lake County residents can still access free naloxone kits. All they have to do is visit a Salt Lake County Health Department Clinic.

"It's a lifesaving tool. It's just as important as knowing how to do CPR and having a first aid kit," Nor said. "Even if you're being prescribed an opioid, you're still at risk of an overdose."

Naloxone is used to reverse overdoses from opioids, which can be prescribed by a doctor or acquired illegally. "You take even one pill that was more than you should've taken, you can overdose," Nor said.

The department is able to gather kits through overdose distribution programs. Experts say they can be used on anyone including pets, children and pregnant women. The only side effects come from the withdrawal of the overdose.

In Utah, the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed by physicians has been decreasing since 2022. Still, in 2026, 244 people died after an opioid overdose, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

The resource fair also offered disease and mental health screenings, hygiene kits and boxed lunches.

Anyone who would like to pick up a naloxone kit can visit a clinic, go the Salt Lake Health Department's website, or call the Health Department's main phone number at 385-468-4100.

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