The Will County Health Department is making access to the overdose-reversing drug Naloxone easier by placing more red Naloxone distribution boxes at locations throughout the county.

Eleven additional red distribution boxes were recently added, bringing the total number of red distribution boxes in Will County to 29.

The new red boxes geographically expanded the number of communities with easy access to Naloxone.

“Making sure that we are reaching all of our communities in Will County is a high priority. Besides the Naloxone Red Distribution Boxes, we are working with the public libraries that as of January 1st are required to keep Naloxone on hand at all times. We also support our schools that are required to maintain a supply of Naloxone,” said Dr. Kathleen Burke, behavioral health community coordinator for the health department, said in a news release.

The strategy of placing more boxes across the county is working, the health department said, as Will County deaths related to opioid overdoses decreased by 55% last year.

Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose and is available through the Illinois Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Program free of charge to all individuals in Will County, the health department said.

Residents will see a change in product boxes as the Naloxone was switched to a generic brand, Padagis, provided by the state. The box looks different, but the product works the same, the health department said.

The following is a list of new locations for the red boxes:

• · Fossil Ridge Library, 386 W. Kennedy Road, Braidwood
• · Braidwood City Hall,141 W. Main St., Braidwood
• · Homer Township Public Library, 14320 W 151st St., Homer Glen
• · University of St. Francis Main Campus, 500 Wilcox St., Joliet
• · University of St. Francis St. Clare Campus, 1550 Plainfield Road, Joliet
• · New Lenox Village Hall, 1 Veterans Parkway, New Lenox
• · Wilmington Park District, 315 N. Water St., Wilmington
• · Wilmington Police Department ,129 Robert P. Weidling Drive, Wilmington
• · Will County Health Department North Branch WIC Office, 330 Quadrangle Drive, Bolingbrook
• · Monotone Public Library, 515 N. First St., Peotone
• · Plainfield Police Department, 14300 S. Coil Plus Drive, Plainfield

Red distribution boxes can also be found at the following original locations in Will County. Go to https://willcountyhealth.org/get-naloxone for that complete listing.

Residents interested in obtaining Naloxone can visit one of the red distribution box locations or can email sui@willcountyhealth.org. Naloxone training is also offered through the Will County Health Department by emailing sui@willcountyhealth.org.