Thanks to an initiative started by the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Fire Marshal, and the Governor, all members of the Brookline Fire Department have now been trained in the use of Narcan, an opiate antidote used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioids in a user who is in danger of overdosing.
According to Brookline Fire Chief Paul D. Ford, a kick-off campaign for the program started in Taunton. One officer from the Brookline Fire Department attended a “Train the Trainer” session and then returned to the station to train the rest of the department.
Massachusetts has seen an uptick in the use of heroin in the last few years. In March 2014 former Governor Deval Patrick declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency.
According to WCVB.com, “State police say 185 people died from suspected heroin overdoses in Massachusetts from November through Feb. 26 [2014], a figure that does not include overdose deaths in the state’s three largest cities. The number of all opioid-related deaths, which includes heroin, OxyContin and other prescription pain relievers, increased from 363 in 2000 to 642 in 2011, the most recent year for which statewide figures were available.”
Explaining possible reasons for the increase in illegal opioid use, Brookline Fire Department Chief Paul D. Ford told the Brookline Hub, “In many cases heroin is a cheap alternative to legitimate pain medication for people.” Patients who have been prescribed pain medication by their doctors may become dependent on them. Subsequently when they are then taken off of the drug, these individuals are turning to heroin to fill the void.
Narcan gives people who are in the throes of an overdose the chance to survive before they are admitted to a hospital. It does this by blocking the ability of the opiate to enter the person’s brain cells. The drug is administered through an intramuscular (IM) injection—into the muscle of the arm, thigh or buttocks—or with a nasal spray device (into the nose). The latter method was central to the BFD training.
Chief Ford emphasized that what Narcan provides is a temporary fix; the person receiving Narcan still has the opiate in his or her body and needs to be taken to a hospital for further care. But it buys the patient time—enough time to save their life.
And according to Chief Ford there are few interactions or side effects with Narcan use—even when it is administered in people who are suspected of overdosing but are instead suffering from a seizure or other issue.
As for costs, a two-dose supply of Narcan runs around $30, although as more stations are required to receive training in Narcan use the price will likely rise.
Narcan has already been successfully administered to some Brookline residents, although the exact number of cases is not currently available.
—By Jennifer Campaniolo
