Save a Life: Get an Overdose Rescue Kit
Most of us have first-aid kits in our homes, offices, and cars-the vast majority of these kits go unused, but knowing it’s there in case of emergency is reassuring. So why not make the same safety tools available for those who may overdose on drugs? Many people, including public health workers across the nation, are preventing thousands of deaths by having overdose rescue kits on hand. These $9.50 kits contain a vial of naloxone, or Narcan, a non-addictive nasal spray that blocks the brain receptors that are activated by heroin, instantly reversing an overdose.
Overdoses of heroin and opiates such as OxyContin kill more people every year than AIDS, hepatitis, or homicide. And many drug users and their friends don’t call 911 out of fear of arrest or losing their homes or children, which leads to fatalities. According to the Cambridge Cares About AIDS program for harm reduction, seven overdoses have been reversed since they started giving out rescue kits in August 2008. New data compiled by NPR researcher Alex Kral of RTI International show that more than 2,600 overdoses have been reversed in 16 programs across the nation.
While some critics say that these kits might encourage drug abusers to keep using heroin and similar drugs because they know overdosing isn’t as likely with the kit on hand, one small study suggests that overdose rescue programs reduce heroin use and get some people into treatment. Karen Seal, an author of the study, says the study showed that rescue programs have a tremendous impact. “It was one of those great studies where we all just walked away and said, ‘Whoa! This is terrific!’ I mean, by our sheer interaction with these folks around these life-saving behaviors, we’re actually creating some really positive change here.”
Health educator Eliza Wheeler says making kits available to drug users sends them a positive message. “There is a real potential culture change among drug users because of Narcan…In my experience, I feel like drug users internalize a lot of stigma that’s out in the world around them. They’ve come to believe that dying is just part of this life that they’ve chosen.” But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Wheeler teaches people how to save their friends and loved ones from overdoses through the Cambridge Cares About AIDS program. She says that if rubbing hard on the breastbone or upper lip-which can often bring people back to consciousness-doesn’t work, the rescuer should call 911 and start blowing air into the victim’s lungs. This is a modified form of CPR called “rescue breathing.” Then it’s time to reach for the Narcan, which is in an easy-to-use nasal spray form. Doctors and emergency workers have been using Narcan for years to revive people, and it doesn’t require much training.
Contact your local public health department for more information on Narcan rescue kits.
