SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — South Dakota is launching a first-in-the-nation initiative to anonymously distribute naloxone kits throughout the state through a partnership between government agencies and the nonprofit Emily’s Hope, officials announced on Friday.
Attorney General Marty Jackley, joined by Health Secretary Melissa Magstadt, Social Services Secretary Matt Althoff, and Emily’s Hope Founder Angela Kennecke, said the collaboration will result in the distribution of 20,000 naloxone kits — totaling 40,000 doses — across South Dakota.
“In South Dakota, we find solutions,” Jackley said. “I deeply appreciate Emily’s Hope and other nonprofits’ willingness to step up preventative efforts to save lives from fentanyl overdoses.”
The distribution effort is funded through South Dakota’s opioid settlement funds, which Jackley has prioritized putting directly to use rather than leaving idle. To date, Jackley said his office has secured $78.6 million in settlements from opioid manufacturers and distributors.
“Today, South Dakota leads the nation,” Jackley said. “We are the first state to accomplish this and make it happen and have a partnership like this with an entity like Emily’s Hope.”
Naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication known by the brand name NARCAN®, can restore normal breathing within two to three minutes when administered to a person experiencing an overdose. Officials say increasing access to the medication is crucial as fentanyl continues to drive overdose deaths across the state.
Last year alone, law enforcement confiscated 18.2 pounds of fentanyl in South Dakota, enough to kill the state’s population four to five times over, Jackley said.
Kennecke, who founded Emily’s Hope after losing her daughter Emily to fentanyl poisoning in 2018, said the partnership will help save countless lives.
“Most overdoses happen in residences. My daughter was in her apartment when she died from fentanyl poisoning seven years ago,” Kennecke said. “There was no naloxone in that apartment. We had to wait until paramedics got there, and it was too late. This initiative is going to change that for so many people.”
The project aims to place naloxone kits in homes, businesses, and near every AED possible throughout the state.
“This initiative is proof of what’s possible when nonprofits, government agencies, and community members join together in a mission to save lives,” Kennecke said.
The distribution is supported by the South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Health (DOH). TEVA Pharmaceuticals supplied 2,313 kits free of charge, with the remaining kits procured at a discounted rate of $25 each.
Naloxone kits are being placed in distribution boxes located in high-traffic areas based on public health data, prioritizing areas with higher rates of overdoses. Current locations include sites in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Vermillion, and Pierre. Emily’s Hope plans to add more than 30 additional distribution boxes throughout the state by Summer 2026.
Businesses and nonprofits in South Dakota can request kits or suggest a location for a distribution box through Emily’s Hope.
“We love the partnership that is happening in today’s initiative that was brought up by Emily’s Hope, so thank you,” Magstadt said. “Naloxone is not only a life-saving medicine, but I consider it a ‘one more chance’ medicine. For some people, one more chance is really just what you need.”
Althoff emphasized the importance of the new anonymous distribution model.
“The new funding that has come on board thanks to the attorney general’s office, the settlement dollars, we are going to explode that,” Althoff said. “The anonymous distribution is a really critical component.”
Since 2018, more than 13,700 naloxone kits have been distributed statewide, and emergency service units report more than 1,600 individuals have shown improved conditions following naloxone administration.
“At the DOH, we believe saving lives starts with access,” Magstadt said. “This anonymous partnership expands naloxone availability, so every South Dakotan has a chance to be part of the solution.”
