No community has escaped the damage done by the opioid epidemic. While the problem has been with us for well over a decade now, communities across the country have seen a spike in deaths over the past few years.
According to the National Institutes of Health, "Opioid-involved overdose deaths rose from 21,089 in 2010 to 47,600 in 2017 and remained steady through 2019. This was followed by a significant increase in 2020 with 68,630 reported deaths and again in 2021 with 80,411 reported overdose deaths." With these startling statistics front of mind, communities are coming together to develop new strategies to combat the problem, and quite often, that means mitigating risk by training more people in the community to administer drugs like Narcan that can reverse an overdose in progress.
That's the case in Stafford, where Thursday, November 16, at 6 p.m., Stafford Library will host a community Narcan training program. Learn how to:
recognize the signs of an opioid overdose
administer potentially life-saving Narcan (naloxone)
Earlier this year, the FDA approved the first over-the-counter naloxone product, which allows anyone to obtain the potentially life-saving drug and keep it on hand just in case they encounter an overdose in progress.
In 2021, fewer than five people in Stafford died of drug overdoses, according to DataHaven's Town Equity reports. However, we've seen first-hand how important these opioid-antagonist drugs can be. Just last month, a Windham woman was charged in connection with the overdose of a one-year-old from Stafford. The child was saved at Johnson Memorial Hospital thanks to the swift administration of Narcan.
If you can't make the training, here's some useful advice from the North Central District Health Department to help you possibly save a life.
Signs of an opioid overdose:
Face is extremely pale and/or clammy to the touch.
Body is limp.
Fingernails or lips have a blue or purple cast.
Vomiting or making gurgling noises.
Cannot be awakened from sleep or is unable to speak.
Breathing is very slow or stopped.
Heartbeat is very slow or stopped.
What should I do if I see an overdose?
Call 911 immediately!
Support the person’s breathing.
Administer naloxone (Narcan) if you have it.
Lay the person on their side once they have resumed breathing.
Stay with the overdosed person until the ambulance arrives.