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Erie County turns to billboards to help prevent overdose deaths

The county's opiate task force has put up signs encouraging people who use cocaine or crack to "take turns carrying Narcan."

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County says it's seeing an increase in drug overdoses, specifically related to fentanyl.

Now the county is hoping billboards can help save a life. The county's opiate task force has put up the signs encouraging people who use cocaine or crack to "take turns carrying Narcan."

Erie County officials said fentanyl is being added into those drugs, causing fatal overdoses, which can be prevented by administering that life-saving drug.

"This is simply first aid," Cheryll Moore, the medical care administrator for the Erie County Department of Health, told 2 On Your Side. "Narcan is no different than learning to put a tourniquet on, learning to put a band aid on. It's a first aid tool. We revive people with it very much like an AED."

You can get free Narcan by texting the Erie County Department of Health at 716-225-5473.

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