Pubdate: Fri, 27 Nov 2015
Source: Middletown Press, The (CT)
Copyright: 2015 The Middletown Press
Contact:  http://www.middletownpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/586

USE OF NARCAN SHOULD BE EXPANDED

A new tool in the war against drugs may turn out to be one of the 
most effective because it saves lives in the nick of time.

It's called naloxone hydrochloride - commonly referred to by the 
brand name Narcan - a life-saving medication that can stop or reverse 
the effects of an opioid overdose. No longer is it just illegal drugs 
such as heroin and cocaine that are being abused, but also opioids 
that include prescription medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, 
and morphine. JOHN BERRY - REGISTER CITIZEN FILE PHOTO Naloxone 
hydrochloride, known by the name-brand Narcan, in a medical kit on a 
Campion Ambulance in Torrington.

But the rise in heroin use and overdoses has caught the attention of 
lawmakers, doctors and health care professionals nationwide.

The use of naloxone has FDA approval and it serves as a powerful tool 
in the war on drugs. When someone overdoses, breathing can become 
difficult or stop and the lack of oxygen leads to death. If naloxone 
is administered quickly, it can counter the overdose effects.

In the most simplistic explanation as to how it works, naloxone 
replaces the opioid the person has taken, reversing the effect of the 
initial opioid.

In an effort to save more lives, Connecticut lawmakers approved laws 
that help avoid legal and criminal liabilities for residents and 
emergency personnel who administer the drug.

This was a smart move by legislators and one that is paying dividends.

When naloxone has been used by law enforcement and other first 
responders, it has shown a 90 percent success rate in preventing 
heroin and opioid deaths as a result of overdosing.

That represents a lot of lives in Connecticut as the state is in the 
grips of a heroin and opioid crisis.

Nearly 300 users have died of accidental overdoses of the drug this 
year. That follows 174 in 2012; 257 in 2013, and 325 in 2014. So far 
this year, 290 had died as of September, with 381 projected for the 
year-end total.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, in its recently issued National 
Drug Threat Assessment Summary, reports that drug-induced fatalities 
are the leading type of injury deaths in the United States, 
outnumbering motor-vehicle fatalities by more than 10,000 in 2013.

So, it's a real problem affecting a lot of people here and nationwide.

It also brings with it serious financial challenges for Connecticut. 
The number of people seeking help through state-funded addiction, 
mental health and behavioral programs are rising and as many people 
in treatment programs are unemployed, the state is feeling the 
economic loss from many of the 59,000 who sought help during the 2015 
fiscal year.

Several efforts are under way with hundreds of healthcare workers at 
behavioral health and substance abuse programs across the state being 
trained to administer the drug.

The state has a mobile crisis center in the Norwich area and a care 
management team in Torrington that focus on opioid addiction care.

And at Wellmore's Suboxone clinic, a training session for the general 
public is being considered as many healthcare advocates believe 
naloxone is a necessary tool that should be available to the 
community at large.

We agree. With proper training and education, the lives of many loved 
ones may be saved.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom