Stamford officials support push for public to carry Narcan
By Kat Russell, Reporter
Stamford Advocate
April 12, 2018
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Stamford-officials-support-push-for-public-to-12829427.php
STAMFORD — As the clock rapidly ticks before the next opioid overdose victim becomes another fatality statistic, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a rare advisory last week: More Americans should carry Naloxone.
“Each day we lose 115 Americans to opioid overdoses — that’s one person every 12.5 minutes,” Dr. Jerome M. Adams said. “It is time to make sure more Americans have access to this life-saving medication because 77 percent of opioid overdoses occur outside a medical setting and more than half occur at home.”
Commonly sold under the brand name Narcan, Naloxone reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The drug is already carried by many first responders, including Stamford fire, EMS and police.
“We make sure that all of our first responders — police, fire, EMS — carry Narcan,” said Ted Jankowski, Stamford’s director of public safety, health and welfare. “I think everybody is in agreement with (the surgeon general). We’re in the business of saving lives and, from my perspective, having more Narcan out there is a positive thing.”
The quicker, the better
Within the city limits, Stamford EMS Assistant Chief Edward Browne said the average response time for an ambulance is five and a half minutes from when 911 is called.
In cases of opioid overdoses, Browne said the faster intervention is administered, the better the outcome for the patient.
“What happens in the case of an opioid overdose is that it suppresses respiratory function,” he said. “So, an overdosing patient basically stops breathing, which means they’re not getting oxygen to their brain. So, time is crucial in a case like that.”
Browne said the general accepted threshold of time a brain can survive without oxygen is about eight minutes. After that, the patient can suffer permanent damage.
When a person is found overdosing, Browne said every minute is crucial because “you don’t know how long that person has been down.”
“If that person was down for 10 minutes before he was found, and it takes another five minutes for the ambulance to get there, that person’s brain has gone without oxygen for 15 minutes,” he said. “So, having Narcan on hand, in the home, and being able to administer it, can make a huge difference for that patient’s chances.”
Peace of mind
Dr. John Douglas, service chief of the Outpatient Addiction Programs at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, considers Narcan to be an essential tool in battling the opioid crisis.
“We commonly recommend patients keep (Narcan) in their home and commonly recommend that their families and friends have it available as well,” he said.
In many cases, opioid addiction is difficult to overcome, he said, and relapse is likely even with treatment.
“The relapse rates for opioid addiction are extremely high, and having Narcan available is something that is a good idea and can definitely help save lives,” he said.
For those trying to kick the habit without help, Johnson said, the relapse rate “is about 100 percent.” He said the rate is reduced to about 80 percent for those “who complete a residential program but do not take a maintenance medication.” For those who complete treatment and take a maintenance medication, the rates are much lower, he said.
Additionally, Johnson said opioid relapses are “unforgiving and often result in death.”
Though making Narcan more available may not be a long-term solution in battling the opioid crisis, Johnson said “it’s a step in the right direction.”
“I encourage anyone who is addicted to opioids or anyone who has a loved one who is addicted to opioids to have Narcan available,” he said. “It is an important tool that can be used to decreased the rate of people dying from opioid overdoses.”
Miracle drug or safety net?
Some opponents, however, believe making Narcan widely available enables addicts to continue abusing opioids without seeking help.
Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin said some addicts view Narcan as a safety net.
“We’re seeing some opioid users who use Narcan as a crutch, or a safety net,” he said. “They’re not worried about overdosing because they think Narcan will save them. Occasionally, when we talk to addicts, and we’re telling them what they’re doing is going to kill them, they’re response is ‘no they’ll just give me the ‘can and I’ll be fine.’”
“The ‘can” Conklin said is a slang term addicts use when referring to Narcan.
“You just realize that’s a kind of delusional thinking,” he said. “It would really be much more prudent to get help and try to overcome the addiction, but they are so entrenched, they can’t see that.”
But Conklin said he is not opposed to any tool that can help first responders save more lives.
“Narcan is a miracle drug, and it’s saving a lot of lives,” he said. “Should civilians carry Narcan? Yeah. If they have loved ones who are struggling with an opioid addiction, it would probably be prudent for them to have Narcan on hand.”
A solution, but not a panacea
Though Narcan plays an important role in addressing the opioid problem, Conklin said it will take a community effort to make a significant impact.
“There is no one solution for this,” he said. “It’s not like we’re going to arrest our way out of this and it’s not like every user is suddenly going to go to rehab. It’s a multi-pronged problem and we have to attack it on many fronts.”
Narcan can help reduce overdose deaths, but Ingrid Gillespie, executive director of local nonprofit Communities 4 Action, agreed combatting the epidemic will take a multi-front effort.
“To combat this crisis is going to require efforts from law enforcement and first responders, as well as the education, mental health and medical communities,” she said.
In the meantime, Gillespie said Narcan can save lives and give addicts the chance to get help.
“Every time we reverse an opioid overdose, it’s an opportunity for us to connect with that person and get them the help they need,” she said. “Every time we reverse an opioid overdose, it’s an opportunity to save a life and to change a life.”
“Each day we lose 115 Americans to opioid overdoses — that’s one person every 12.5 minutes,” Dr. Jerome M. Adams said. “It is time to make sure more Americans have access to this life-saving medication because 77 percent of opioid overdoses occur outside a medical setting and more than half occur at home.”
Commonly sold under the brand name Narcan, Naloxone reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The drug is already carried by many first responders, including Stamford fire, EMS and police.
“We make sure that all of our first responders — police, fire, EMS — carry Narcan,” said Ted Jankowski, Stamford’s director of public safety, health and welfare. “I think everybody is in agreement with (the surgeon general). We’re in the business of saving lives and, from my perspective, having more Narcan out there is a positive thing.”
The quicker, the better
Within the city limits, Stamford EMS Assistant Chief Edward Browne said the average response time for an ambulance is five and a half minutes from when 911 is called.
In cases of opioid overdoses, Browne said the faster intervention is administered, the better the outcome for the patient.
“What happens in the case of an opioid overdose is that it suppresses respiratory function,” he said. “So, an overdosing patient basically stops breathing, which means they’re not getting oxygen to their brain. So, time is crucial in a case like that.”
Browne said the general accepted threshold of time a brain can survive without oxygen is about eight minutes. After that, the patient can suffer permanent damage.
When a person is found overdosing, Browne said every minute is crucial because “you don’t know how long that person has been down.”
“If that person was down for 10 minutes before he was found, and it takes another five minutes for the ambulance to get there, that person’s brain has gone without oxygen for 15 minutes,” he said. “So, having Narcan on hand, in the home, and being able to administer it, can make a huge difference for that patient’s chances.”
Peace of mind
Dr. John Douglas, service chief of the Outpatient Addiction Programs at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, considers Narcan to be an essential tool in battling the opioid crisis.
“We commonly recommend patients keep (Narcan) in their home and commonly recommend that their families and friends have it available as well,” he said.
In many cases, opioid addiction is difficult to overcome, he said, and relapse is likely even with treatment.
“The relapse rates for opioid addiction are extremely high, and having Narcan available is something that is a good idea and can definitely help save lives,” he said.
For those trying to kick the habit without help, Johnson said, the relapse rate “is about 100 percent.” He said the rate is reduced to about 80 percent for those “who complete a residential program but do not take a maintenance medication.” For those who complete treatment and take a maintenance medication, the rates are much lower, he said.
Additionally, Johnson said opioid relapses are “unforgiving and often result in death.”
Though making Narcan more available may not be a long-term solution in battling the opioid crisis, Johnson said “it’s a step in the right direction.”
“I encourage anyone who is addicted to opioids or anyone who has a loved one who is addicted to opioids to have Narcan available,” he said. “It is an important tool that can be used to decreased the rate of people dying from opioid overdoses.”
Miracle drug or safety net?
Some opponents, however, believe making Narcan widely available enables addicts to continue abusing opioids without seeking help.
Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin said some addicts view Narcan as a safety net.
“We’re seeing some opioid users who use Narcan as a crutch, or a safety net,” he said. “They’re not worried about overdosing because they think Narcan will save them. Occasionally, when we talk to addicts, and we’re telling them what they’re doing is going to kill them, they’re response is ‘no they’ll just give me the ‘can and I’ll be fine.’”
“The ‘can” Conklin said is a slang term addicts use when referring to Narcan.
“You just realize that’s a kind of delusional thinking,” he said. “It would really be much more prudent to get help and try to overcome the addiction, but they are so entrenched, they can’t see that.”
But Conklin said he is not opposed to any tool that can help first responders save more lives.
“Narcan is a miracle drug, and it’s saving a lot of lives,” he said. “Should civilians carry Narcan? Yeah. If they have loved ones who are struggling with an opioid addiction, it would probably be prudent for them to have Narcan on hand.”
A solution, but not a panacea
Though Narcan plays an important role in addressing the opioid problem, Conklin said it will take a community effort to make a significant impact.
“There is no one solution for this,” he said. “It’s not like we’re going to arrest our way out of this and it’s not like every user is suddenly going to go to rehab. It’s a multi-pronged problem and we have to attack it on many fronts.”
Narcan can help reduce overdose deaths, but Ingrid Gillespie, executive director of local nonprofit Communities 4 Action, agreed combatting the epidemic will take a multi-front effort.
“To combat this crisis is going to require efforts from law enforcement and first responders, as well as the education, mental health and medical communities,” she said.
In the meantime, Gillespie said Narcan can save lives and give addicts the chance to get help.
“Every time we reverse an opioid overdose, it’s an opportunity for us to connect with that person and get them the help they need,” she said. “Every time we reverse an opioid overdose, it’s an opportunity to save a life and to change a life.”
