Delco, Wolf to hand out free naloxone to fight opioid ODs
“We want to ensure that through this opportunity for free naloxone, we can save more lives and get more Pennsylvanians into treatment. Keeping naloxone in your home, work or even in your car can make the difference between someone getting into treatment or dying from this disease.”
— Pennsylvania Gov. Tom
Gov. Tom Wolf has launched his own offensive against the opioid epidemic with a statewide naloxone distribution next Thursday and a online portal for substance abuse treatment options.
Naloxone can reverse an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids on the brain and has been placed in the hands of first responders to use when facing persons in the throes of an overdose. Since a 2014 law gave police officers the right to carry Naloxone, more than 1,300 lives have been saved in Delaware County.
On Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., any Pennsylvania resident can get the life-saving drug for free. In Delaware County, naloxone will be distributed at the state health center at 151 W. Fifth St., Suite 1 in Chester. In Chester County, it can be obtained at the county health department at 601 Westtown Road, Suite 290 in West Chester. There are three locations in Montgomery County, all county Offices of Public Health: one at 1430 DeKalb St., Norristown; another at 346 King St. in Pottstown; and another at 102 York Road, Suite 401 in Willow Grove. The Montgomery County locations will be open
Wolf
from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“The life-saving medication naloxone is essential for all of us to have on hand, particularly if you have a loved one suffering from opioid-use disorder,” Wolf said. “We want to ensure that through this opportunity for free naloxone, we can save more lives and get more Pennsylvanians into treatment. Keeping naloxone in your home, work or even in your car can make the difference between someone getting into treatment or dying from this disease.”
In the past three years, 648 people have died in Delaware County due to drug-related deaths. The equivalent is 33 deaths per 100,000 population in 2015 to 46 deaths per 100,000 last year. Seventy percent of last year’s deaths had some link to fentanyl.
Just last month, Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland announced that doses of Narcan had been placed in 60 automatic external defibrillator cabinets in the county courthouse, Government Center and other county buildings. The public is welcome to use these for free. Each cabinet has 4 mg doses of Narcan with step-by-step instructions on how to administer it nasally.
In addition Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine issued a standing order prescription so that any state resident who needed to get naloxone at a pharmacy for someone in need would be able to do so for free at low cost through public and private insurance.
“Naloxone has one function: to reverse the effects of opioids on the brain and respiratory system and save someone’s life,” Levine said. “It is impossible to get someone into treatment who is dead. Every Pennsylvanian has a role to play as a potential first responder and can save a life by having naloxone on hand and using it if they come across someone who has overdosed.”
The governor also announced the launching of the Drug and Alcohol Referral Tool (DART) at www.ddap.pa.gov/GetHelp, a website designed to centralize available resources for people looking for resources associated with substance abuse treatment but don’t know where to start. People can also call 1-800-662-4357 (HELP).
DART uses a person’s characteristics such as their age, county of residents and veteran status, as well as if they are experiencing homelessness, legal concerns or transportation issues related to treatment to best get them help.
“Connecting people seeking treatment to comprehensive services that can help meet all of their needs from the start is critical as they work towards recovery,” Pennsylvania Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller said.
Another state official, state Drug and Alcohol Secretary Jen Smith, spoke of the role all people have in disregarding generalizations and falsehoods.
“One of the biggest misconceptions of individuals battling substance use disorder is that they want to die when the vast majority of overdose deaths are accidental,” she said. “We do not stand a chance in overcoming this epidemic if we are unable to help individuals into treatment. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to help their loved ones in their time of need.”