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State funds to supply Narcan running out, but no clear answer why

ORLANDO, Fla. — It is the main tool for fighting overdoses, saving thousands of lives every year.

And yet, it could vanish.

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Narcan doesn’t just stop an overdose, it can give an addict a second chance at life.

However, the money for the lifesaving treatment is in danger of disappearing, and the state won’t say why.

Ryan Foster was a heroin addict for 20 years. Narcan saved his life 18 times. It took that many close calls before he was able to confront his addiction.

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Today I am a father of an 8-year-old boy and a 5-month-old boy, and I am trying to be the generation that stops kids from having to go through the situation that I did,” Foster said. “I would not have had the opportunity to be a father and be a leader in the recovery community.”

Now, Foster works with the Volusia County Recovery Alliance, handing out the very drug that saved his life.

The center estimates it hands out about 300 kits, but now that money is in jeopardy.

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Two agencies said money for Narcan comes from the federal government to the state, then is distributed down by the Department of Children and Families.

Channel 9 has tried to reach out to DCF to see what is happening to the funding multiple times, but has not yet gotten a response.

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Now, treatment centers in Central Florida that are already out or have just have a few doses left are wondering what will happen next month.

The funding problem, for now, is just with recovery centers. Law enforcement is not having the same issue with its Narcan supply as their funds come from a different source.

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Shannon Butler

Shannon Butler, WFTV.com

Shannon joined the Eyewitness News team in 2013.

Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.