Delco takes the next step in war on opioid scourge
The numbers don’t lie. The opioid scourge that is taking such a horrific toll on our communities is not going away.
In fact, the numbers indicate the problem just might be getting worse.
Deaths attributed to drug toxicity are going up in Pennsylvania, according to the latest numbers from the Drug Enforcement Administration Philadelphia Division and the University of Pittsburgh.
They are going up in Pennsylvania.
They are going up in southeastern Pennsylvania.
And they are going up in Delaware County.
The southeastern portion of the state, which includes the city of Philadelphia, the inner ring suburbs such as Delaware County along with the four other suburban counties, as well as Berks, Lancaster and Schuylkill counties, continue to have more drug deaths than any other area in the state.
Here in Delaware County, drugrelated deaths continue to inch up. Over the past three years, the death toll stands at 648. The death rate for the county has from from 33 deaths per 100,000 population in 2015 to 46 per 100,000 in 2017.
And the numbers point to a new scourge in the opioid epidemic: Fentanyl.
The powerful narcotic is being added to heroin – with deadly results. Fentanyl is now being listed as a contributing factor in 67 percent of drug deaths. The presence of fentanyl in overdose cases has skyrocketed, a 150 percent increase.
Overall, fentanyl was reported in 3,600 deaths as either the sold drug or in combination with other drugs.
In Delaware County, the numbers show 70 percent of the county’s drug deaths in 2017 showed the presence of fentanyl.
It is against these daunting numbers that the battle against the opioid epidemic continues.
And Delaware County continues to lead the way in efforts to attack this community menace.
Under former District Attorney Jack Whelan, Delco was the first municipality in the region to set up a Heroin Task Force.
Whelan pushed for the passage of David’s Law, named for David Massi, who lost his battle with opioid addiction. The measure led to the introduction of the life-saving Naloxone nasal spray. The drug has the ability to reverse the effects of a heroin overdose – in many instances literally reviving OD victims and bringing them back from death’s door.
The county led the way in getting Naloxone into the hands of every police officer and first responder in the county. Since the law went into effect in 2014, it has been used to save 1,300 lives.
Now the county is taking the next step.
District Attorney Katayoun Copeland and the Heroin Task Force this week unveiled a program to make Naloxone available to the general public. Naloxone nasal spray devices will now be added to emergency Automated External Defibrillator kits in all more than 60 government buildings and public libraries across the county. That includes the County Courthouse and Government Center in Media.
What the AED does for a person suffering a heart attack, Naloxone can do for someone in the throes of an opioid overdose.
Each kit will contain two 4 mg does of the drug with step-by-step instructions on how to administer it nasally.
Copeland stressed that very often it’s a member of the public, for instance a librarian, who is first on the scene or to discover a person suffering an apparent overdose.
In these cases, seconds matter. Now, instead of waiting for a first responder to administer Naloxone, this lifesaver will be available for the public to use.
“If you’re first on scene, and you can save a life by administering Narcan, we want you to,” Copeland said. “We’re not waiting for an emergency to occur. We like to be prepared.”
The district attorney hopes to expand the program to have Narcan available to county university and colleges as well.
Copeland stress that use of the life-saving drug is a way to treat the disease, not cure it.
“We think of Narcan (the name brand version of Naloxone) as a life vest,” the D.A. said. “While by no means does it fix the greater problem, it can actually save a life in times of emergency.”
Copeland stressed this does not mean the county is not attacking the root case of the problem.
She has the support of County Councilman John McBlain, who said if the program saves even one life, it is worth the effort.
“Every idea, every new initiative that we can do ... that saves one life is enough,” McBlain. The council boss also is aware of those who wonder how many times a person can be revived.
“You do it every time,” he responded. “That’s the way we’re going to approach it and that’s the way we’ll continue to do it.”
The opioid scourge is not going away.
Neither is the battle to attack it – and save those in its deadly grip.
Getting Naloxone into the hands of citizens who might be first on the scene of a potentially deadly overdose will unquestionably save lives.
No one can argue with that.