9 May 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A group that is trying to save people from dying of opioid overdoses is getting more money from the City of Wichita so it can continue its work.
Safe Streets Wichita estimates it has saved at least 300 lives so far. The group hands out free naloxone, a medicine that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses. Of the 3,500 naloxone kits it’s handed out, it knows that about 8.8% have been put to use.
“That’s probably under-reported because we know that not everyone who uses a kit is going to contact us and let us know,” Lisa Vayda, Safe Streets Wichita, told the Wichita City Council on Tuesday morning.
City Manager Bob Layton told the City Council that Safe Streets Wichita has helped the City learn where the problem opioid areas are in Wichita.
“By using information that is available, geospatial data that’s available from what’s called the Overdose Detention Mapping Application program, they have noticed a significant number of occurrences located along the Broadway corridor and also along west Kellogg,” Layton said.
Vayda said there was a spike in overdoses over the past weekend.
“There were three fatalities, most of these occurring along the Broadway corridor,” she said.
During Tuesday’s Council meeting, the city manager told council members Safe Streets Wichita needs $4,300 to buy 2,000 more naloxone kits. He said Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita have been disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis.
“In 2022, Sedgwick County had the second-highest vulnerability risk out of 105 Kansas counties,” Layton said. “Projected fentanyl-related deaths for Sedgwick County are estimated to exceed 300 this year.”
In January, the City Council awarded $20,675 to Partners for Wichita, which does business as Safe Streets Wichita. The money was for WORKED, the Wichita Overdose Recovery Kit Expedited Delivery project. The goal of WORKED is to get naloxone to people near hot spots where there is the greatest likelihood of an opioid overdose could occur.
“When we came to you asking for funds, I specifically remember you saying, ‘We don’t want you coming back asking for more funds,'” Vayda said.
But she said the demand for the kits has quadrupled since then.
“In the month of March, we distributed almost 1,600 kits, so I’m telling you the demand is there,” she said.
Mayor Brandon Whipple said he has a naloxone kit readily available when he is out in the community.
“Safe Streets will encourage folks to have these kits on hand,” he said. “I now have one in my glove compartment of both of our cars. We had folks reach out to us. One person reached out … he does delivery of Amazon packages and wanted to have Narcan on him in case he ran into a situation where someone was suffering from an overdose.”
Vice Mayor Mike Hoheisel thanked Safe Streets for the work it does.
“You guys are out there doing the hard work,” he said. “You have saved lives. I know sometimes that gets a little difficult for you guys to really see, but if we’ve given at least one person the chance to turn their life around … it’s not just them. It’s their family, too, their friends, their community that doesn’t have to go through that heartache.”
Council Member Becky Tuttle said she has worked with Safe Streets in the past. She said it is important for everyone to realize the impact of the opioid and fentanyl crisis.
“Even if it doesn’t impact your family, just making sure that you’re aware, understanding the impact that it has on families and on our community is vital,” she said.
Before the Council voted on the extra funding for Safe Streets Wichita, the mayor had one more thing to add.
“We don’t always get an opportunity to vote on something we know is directly related to saving a life,” the mayor said. “Thank you for coming to us, allowing us to partner with you. Thank you for the work you’re doing.”
The Council unanimously approved the funding. The money will come from the City’s Addiction Settlement Recovery fund.