Free naloxone kits and training in Millsboro Sept. 6
Delaware public health officials will pass out free naloxone kits and offer training on use of the overdose-reversing drug Sept. 6 in Millsboro.
The event, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Millsboro Fire Company, 109 East State St., comes on the heels of four suspected overdoses over Labor Day weekend.
Naloxone is an overdose-reversing drug that can save people who have overdosed on heroin or fentanyl. Within three to five minutes after administration, Division of Public Health officials say, naloxone can counteract the life-threatening respiratory depression of an opioid-related overdose and stabilize a person's breathing, which buys time for emergency medical help to arrive. DPH recommends if an individual finds someone in the midst of a suspected overdose, they should call 9-1-1 immediately, start to perform rescue breathing, and then administer naloxone.
Naloxone is not a replacement for emergency medical care, and seeking immediate help and follow-up care is still vital, said Jen Brestel, DPH spokeswoman. Each kit contains two doses of naloxone, and community members who attend these events will receive one-on-one training on how to administer the medication, said Brestel. Members of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health will also have representatives on hand to answer questions about access to treatment for those struggling with substance use disorder, she added.
“We know that 80 percent of overdoses happen in a residence,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “If family or friends of someone overdosing have naloxone immediately accessible, it can mean the difference between life or death for that person. We urge anyone who might ever have a need for access to naloxone to attend this distribution event, and also to download OpiRescue Delaware, a new smartphone app that provides lifesaving step-by-step instructions on how to respond to an overdose, including administration of naloxone.”
For more information about OpiRescue Delaware, go to HelpIsHereDE.com, and click on the overdose prevention tab.
As of Sept. 5, the Division of Forensic Science has reported a total of 194 suspected overdose deaths in Delaware this year. There is always a lag in terms of both toxicology analyses and death determinations. In 2018, there were 400 overdose deaths across the state, an increase of 16 percent from the 2017 total of 345 deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked Delaware as No. 6 in the nation for overdose deaths in 2017.
In 2018, first responders administered 3,728 doses of naloxone, compared to 2,861 in 2017, a 30 percent increase.
Funding for the Community Naloxone Distribution Initiative comes from state funding built into DPH's budget for the first time in state fiscal year 2019, Brestel said, thanks to the advocacy of Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long and the Behavioral Health Consortium.
Information on pharmacy access and training for naloxone, and resources regarding prevention, treatment and recovery, are available on HelpisHereDE.com.
