Why Twin Cities Restaurants and Bars Are Carrying Narcan and Fentanyl Test Strips | Eater Twin Cities

"At this neighborhood bar where Webster Norton works Sundays, she sets out Narcan canisters and fentanyl test strips on the bar for customers to take and often leaves supplies around town: "I’m distributing constantly... I like to call myself the Narcan fairy, because I just literally run around town with a bunch of shit in my car, and I pass it out to anybody who will take it." She emphasizes that naloxone is not a permanent fix, calling it a "Band-Aid solution" while explaining that it can buy crucial, life-saving time. Staff there view themselves as de facto first responders: as longtime bartender Nick Jeffrey puts it, "I’ve been doing this for 20-plus years; I understand the stages of drinking," but most bartenders "haven’t been trained to recognize the stages of drug use and overdose, or to respond to mental health crises." Jeffrey also describes the fear staff feel about the responsibility: "None of us want somebody to die on our watch. Just the fact that it’s something that we may have to deal with — I think it terrifies a lot of people." The bar also functions as a community anchor — staying open on holidays to provide a safe place — which Webster Norton frames succinctly: "They provide a safe space for people who don’t have families, who don’t have people that love them, who don’t have community... We’re more than just a dive bar; we’re more than just a good breakfast spot. We’re a community that cares about the surrounding community." - Justine Jones