More Connecticut residents will have access to naloxone spray (NARCAN®) in several locations in the state, thanks to a two-year $1.4M grant from the Connecticut Opioid Settlement Fund to Wheeler’s CT Clearinghouse. Naloxone is now housed at four of Wheeler’s community health centers in Bristol, Waterbury, Plainville, and Hartford, and scheduled for installation in municipal and community-focused locations across Connecticut.
“Using the resources of this grant, we are providing Connecticut residents with accessible, easy-to-use naloxone spray, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in 2 to 3 minutes,” said Rita Demo, MPH, LMFT, vice president of Community, Crisis, and Prevention Services, Wheeler. “While we have made notable strides in this area over the last decade, our work must continue.”
An additional naloxone cabinet, made possible with support from the Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services and the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, Court Support Services Division, is housed at Wheeler’s Family Health & Wellness Center 40 Hart Street, New Britain location.
In Connecticut, the number of annual fatal opioid overdoses has consistently decreased since 2021. Risk reduction resources like naloxone have played a role. In 2025, Connecticut lost more than 800 people to overdose (CT DPH SUDORS).
Funds support Wheeler’s ongoing efforts to administer a statewide program that expands public access to naloxone, deliver education about opioid risks, naloxone use, and the safe storage and disposal of medications and drugs to prevent opioid overdose deaths.
About Wheeler’s CT Clearinghouse
Connecticut Clearinghouse is a statewide library and resource center for information on substance use and mental health disorders, prevention and health promotion, treatment and recovery, wellness, and other related topics. Materials from its specialized library and resource center are available to Connecticut families, teachers, students, professionals, communities, and children. A program of Wheeler’s Connecticut Center for Prevention, Wellness and Recovery, Connecticut Clearinghouse is funded by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services