The opioid crisis is far from over but there is some encouraging news in Florida - in April 2024, the nonprofit Project Opioid announced that the number of overdoses has fallen. The wide availability of naloxone, known by brand name Narcan, is being credited as the reason why. Naloxone, available as a nasal spray or an injector, is a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdose and save lives.
Project Opioid has been advocating
across our state for the past six years asking officials to study the overdose
crisis and take action to solve it. An analysis of Central Florida’s trends and
recommendations for sustaining effective interventions revealed that 2022 was
the first year Florida saw a decrease in opioid deaths of around 2%. (https://projectopioid.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-Overdose-Crisis-in-Central-Florida-Sept2023.pdf)
A dedicated day of awareness is taking place today in the Orange County area with Mayor Jerry Demings proclaiming June
6 as National Naloxone Day. At a recent media conference, Lisa
Nason, interim executive director of Project Opioid, said, “Having access to
naloxone is life-saving. Law enforcement and EMS fire rescue services cannot be
everywhere so Project Opioid is distributing naloxone to put this life-saving
medication in the hands of everyone.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), naloxone is available in all 50 states and over
the counter without a prescription. Anyone can carry naloxone, give it to
someone experiencing an overdose, and potentially save a life. Most states have
laws to protect a person who is overdosing or the person who called for help
from criminal penalties.
Having naloxone readily available does not encourage risky drug use but it does mean that someone who is experiencing an overdose has a better chance of surviving and eventually getting the help they need.
With overdose deaths in the U.S. at
historically high levels, concerted efforts must continue to further alleviate
the impact of the opioid crisis. Educating ourselves and those we love about
the danger of opioids and learning how to help in the event of drug overdose
can save lives.
:30 sec YouTube video: How to Use
Naloxone Nasal Spray
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/odlFtGNjmMQ
Signs & steps to take in the
event of an overdose
https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/response/index.html
https://drugfree.org/naloxone-overdose-reversal-drug/
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