Narcan training a necessity in ToH

The Town of Hempstead has continued to host free educational training sessions at local libraries on how to use naloxone nasal sprays properly to aid in the event of a suspected opioid overdose. Naloxone is distributed by two brands, Evzio and Narcan. On Feb. 26, Hempstead Town Councilmen Christopher Carini and Anthony D’Esposito brought the program to the Wantagh Library. They spoke on the dangers on substance abuse and the importance of knowing how to properly administer naloxone.

The Town of Hempstead distributes the naloxone training kits to emergency services personnel, community members and public safety officers. Kits were brought to each training session to educate the audience members.

“In total over the past few years, the program has trained about 4,000 people overall,” Carini said. “All Narcan kits are donated, it costs the town nothing. And it is important for people to know this information.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a study in 2017 on opioid-related deaths from 1999-2017. In the study period, more than 700,000 people have died from drug overdoses. In 2017, “around 68% of the more than 70,000 drug overdose deaths involved an opioid,” according to the study. 130 American on average die every day from opioid overdoses.

According to information collected by the National Vital Statistics System Mortality File, heroin-related deaths from 2010 to 2015 rose at a torrid pace. They have marginally risen since. Deaths from commonly prescribed opioids were at their highest mortality rate in the most recent portion of the study. Synthetic opioid deaths, such as those deriving from Tramadol and Fentanyl, were twice as prevalent than those of commonly prescribed opioids in 2017. Based on CDC data available for analysis on Feb. 2, 2020, provisional counts of drug overdose deaths in the United States in a twelve-month period ending in July 2019 climbed to just over 60,000 reported cases, although the CDC predicts the number is higher. In the same period, New York State has accounted for 3,488 reported overdose deaths, although the predicted number of deaths is 3,763. Overdose deaths in New York City account for 1,463 of the confirmed total.

Carini, a former NYPD and Port Authority police officer, has seen people overdosed on opioids. Stationed at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown, Manhattan, Carini said that he has seen people look “nearly comatose” due to drugs.

“In my police career I have seen multiple people given a dose of Narcan, and they were brought back,” Carini said. “But it’s only temporary. Not many people understand that once the Narcan wears off, people can still overdose, so it is important to call an ambulance immediately.”

Susan Klein, program director of Southeast Nassau Guidance Center in Seaford, says that she has observed the addition of five to six new clients a week. The Southeast Nassau Guidance Center also has locations in Wantagh and Levittown. Upon being asked if she has seen an increase in the need for substance abuse education on the south shore of Long Island in recent years, Klein retorted: “Yes, most certainly.”

She continued: “I have definitely seen an increase in substance abuse lately.”

Klein warned against the dangers of self-medicating. As the program director on the substance abuse side of the guidance center, she understands the severity of the situation. She also believes training people on how to use naloxone, or Narcan, is necessary.

“People have to be trained to know how administer Narcan,” Klein said. “Clearly, it saves lives.”