Commonwealth Policy Center

Kentucky public health officials are offering free medication through the mail which can reverse the effects of a drug overdose. Kentuckians can request naloxone – no prescription needed – through the NEXT Distro website if they cannot afford it or access it through their communities. This comes as part of the Biden Administration’s $1.5 billion effort to help states fight opioid overdoses. Many states including Kentucky are facing a crisis of opioid addiction and overdose deaths, and all of society is bearing the cost. State officials should be commended for seeking to save lives. But free medication sent through the mail is ripe for abuse and the creation of a black market. A comprehensive solution to Kentucky’s drug crisis requires changing hearts and minds alongside overdose drugs like Naloxone.