St. John Recovery shares the importance of Narcan

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - According to Kentucky’s 2021 drug overdose report, more than 2,200 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses in 2021, but in 2022, fatal overdoses dropped 5%.

People who work in the recovery industry have seen the problem first hand. Mike and Marie St. John said they have both been at the bottom, but now they’re both clean.

“The war on drugs is not going anywhere. I’m 43-years-old and I started when I was 21. I’m clean almost seven years now. But I didn’t want help until I hit rock bottom. It’s a disease of addiction,” Mike St. John said.

They both said they keep Narcan with them in many places, like their personal homes and cars because it can save lives.

“If you see someone, and they’re overdosing, you can save a life. If you don’t have it, they very well could die. It’s as simple as that,” Marie St. John said.

They said it can help if anyone overdoses. Narcan can help bring them back. They also said that over time, the types of drugs have changed. Not only is there fentanyl, but there are other drugs that are laced or mixed.

At St. John Recovery, they want to help people get better and succeed. They have Jasmine’s House and Corbin’s House, which are recovery homes for women and men. They said drug addicts are usually pushed to the side and labeled by society, but they are there to help.

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