Don't wait for the overdose. Prevent it.

NarcanNear uses geo-location to alert nearby naloxone-trained responders when someone at risk enters their area. A proactive safety net, built with CAHMA.

Built for Canberra's harm reduction community
The timing problem

Naloxone saves lives. But only if someone nearby has it and knows to use it.

Australia's Take Home Naloxone program has put thousands of kits in the hands of trained community members. But there's no system to connect those responders with at-risk individuals in real time. By the time someone calls 000, minutes have already passed.

5 min
Brain damage begins within minutes of breathing stopping during opioid overdose
36.6%
Of overdose events received naloxone from nearby volunteers when a geo-alert system was used (UnityPhilly study)
30+
Years CAHMA has been training Canberra's community in overdose prevention and naloxone use
How it works

Awareness before emergency

📍

Proximity detection

At-risk individuals opt in to share their proximity zone. No exact location stored, just enough for nearby awareness.

🔔

Quiet alert

CAHMA-verified responders nearby receive a gentle notification: someone who may need help is in the area.

🤝

Ready to respond

Responders are already aware and prepared. If an overdose occurs, they can act in seconds, not minutes.

What makes this different

Proactive, not reactive

Every other app

  • Waits for overdose to happen
  • Alerts sent after someone stops breathing
  • Relies on bystander to trigger alarm
  • Responders scramble from unknown distance

NarcanNear

  • Creates ambient awareness before crisis
  • Trained responders already know someone is nearby
  • Integrated with CAHMA's verified responder network
  • Privacy-first: proximity zones, never exact locations

A city where no one overdoses alone.

NarcanNear is building the missing layer between naloxone access and real-time community response. Starting in Canberra, with the people who've been doing this work for decades.