Taking 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.

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.

In Delaware County, as just one example. the death rate has gone 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.

It is against these daunting numbers that the battle against the opioid epidemic continues.

Under former District Attorney Jack Whelan, Delaware County 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 next step was getting Naloxone into the hands of every police officer and first responder. Since the law went into effect in 2014, it has been used to save 1,300 lives.

Naloxone is now being made available to the general public. Naloxone nasal spray devices will now be added to emergency Automated External Defibrillator kits in more than 60 government buildings and public libraries.

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.

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,” said Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland. “We’re not waiting for an emergency to occur. We like to be prepared.”

Copeland stresses 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 cause of the problem.

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.