Overdoses have been declining nationally since August 2023, but Alaska is far behind in that progress
Whenever he can, Shane Shelton offers neighbors naloxone, an overdose reversal medication, and a place to sleep out of the cold.
The 54-year old’s home is known as the “Dog House” in Williwaw, Alaska – on the outskirts of Wasilla in Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) borough. In this neighborhood, family homes with manicured lawns sit side by side with yards piled with old tires and tarps, some with makeshift walls nailed around them to hide the mess and avoid fines. People come to the Dog House to get high – and keep one another alive. Shelton said he had administered naloxone more times than he could count, and cannot get enough of it.
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