Heroin, Opioid Crisis: Ex-Raven Orr Teams Up For Videos

BALTIMORE, MD — Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Zach Orr has teamed up with state health officials to address the stigma that surrounds substance use disorders – calling out the shame associated with the disease and promoting the value of treating it like any other disease. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Behavioral Health Administration has released a series of public service announcements to be shown on TV and in movie theaters.

“Addressing the stigma surrounding heroin and opioid addiction head-on is paramount to ending this epidemic once and for all,” said Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford in a news release.

The PSAs are being broadcast in the wake of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s recent announcement of his 2017 heroin and opioid initiative to end the epidemic, which includes increased treatment funding; limiting opioid prescriptions at the start of medical consultation for pain management and providing screening and linkages to treatment via emergency departments.

According to new numbers released by the state in late December, through the end of September 2016 Maryland had set a tragic record in the number of overdose deaths. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says that from January to September, Maryland saw 1,468 deaths related to overdose, surpassing the 1,259 overdose deaths that occurred in all of 2015 statewide.

And the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has yet to tally overdose deaths from October through December 2016, which will increase the record tally. In 2015, the state saw a 21 percent increase in the number of deaths from drug and alcohol intoxication. The number of intoxication deaths had nearly doubled since 2010.

SEE ALSO:

• Heroin Epidemic Escalates Across Maryland
• Heroin Crisis: Desperate Maryland Families Wonder If Anyone Cares

Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary Dennis R. Schrader said the PSAs are a way to make sure addicts and their loved ones know of treatment resources available.

Signs of Overdose:

• Person is not responsive.
• Fingertips or lips turn blue or grey.
• Breathing is slow, shallow or has stopped.
• Person is gurgling or making snoring noises.

What can you do if you see an opioid overdose?

• Call 911.
• If you have naloxone, give the person naloxone and perform rescue breathing.
• If no response after 2-3 minutes, give a second dose of naloxone.
• Do not leave the person alone. Help will arrive.
• If the person starts to breathe or becomes more alert, lay the person in the recovery position; put the person slightly on the left side so that their body is supported by a bent knee with their face turned to the side and bottom arm reaching out to stabilize the position.

Remember the Good Samaritan Law – save a life!

• If you provide help or assist a person experiencing a medical emergency due to alcohol or drugs, you are criminally IMMUNE from being charged, arrested and prosecuted from certain crimes.
• The police and the courts believe that saving a life is more important than a charge or an arrest.

One PSA highlights the benefits of naloxone, the lifesaving drug that can reverse an overdose, and provides viewers the opportunity to learn more about how to recognize the signs of an overdose and how to potentially save a life. A Good Samaritan Law PSA informs viewers about the law that protects Marylanders from arrest or prosecution if they assist someone overdosing and call 911.

Where to Get Help in Maryland
Maryland residents who need help finding substance abuse treatment resources should visit the Department of Health website for links to substance abuse treatment facilities. Or call the Maryland Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7 support, at 1-800-422-0009.

If you know of someone who could use treatment for substance abuse, treatment facilities can be located by location and program characteristics online.

Orr, 24, announced in January that he would be retiriefrom the Ravens since he was diagnosed with a congenital back/spine condition after an injury during the week 16 Ravens-Steelers game, according to the BaltimoreRavens.com. The condition involves him not having a fully formed upper vertebra.

»Photo of retired Baltimore Raven Zach Orr, courtesy of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Behavioral Health Administration.