Narcan
Years ago, pain became a vital sign assessed in health care, and this along with many other factors, led to the eventual over prescribing of pain medications- in particular a class of drugs called opioids, which use of these drugs actually dates back to 3400 B.C. The increase in opioid prescriptions in the last several decades have led to many issues, including addiction to opioids, and the Opioid Epidemic.
As the dangers of opioid use became evident, education surrounding opioid prescriptions has increased, physicians have decreased the amount of opioids prescribed and there have been safety measures put into place to decrease dependency and the chance of addiction to opioids. There has also been advancements in finding new alternatives for pain treatment and in treatments for those dealing with opioid addiction.
Even though there have been vast advancements in the way that opioids are used for pain control, there are still many people that struggle with opioid addiction across the country. Gratiot County is not immune to this addiction, and our law enforcement regularly encounter individuals who may have overdosed on opiates. One additional way to combat this epidemic is the use of the lifesaving nasal spray Narcan. Narcan blocks or reverses the effects of opioid medication, including extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, or loss of consciousness. It is used in emergencies to treat a possible opioid overdose in adults or children.
The Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition (GCSAC) was able to acquire 38 doses of Narcan thanks to a grant from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. GCSAC was able to reach out to the local police departments and provide additional doses that each department requested.
In May, GCSAC was able to distribute these additional Narcan doses to local police departments in Gratiot County. St. Louis Police Department was provided with 16 doses, Alma Police Department was provided with 20 doses, and Breckenridge Police Department was provided with 2 doses.
By increasing the availability of Narcan across the state and country, many lives can be saved. Police Departments across the country receive training on Narcan administration and when they have Narcan available on patrol, they are able to save individuals from opiate overdoses.
If you would like to learn more about GCSAC and the opioid epidemic, please visit us at www.gratiotdrugfree.org or call Emily Rayburn, Coalition Coordinator at 989-463-1422 or email emily@childadvocacy.net to learn how you can become involved in the Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition.
Sara Krebs
Gratiot County Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator
