More Overdoses, But Even More Narcan Saves

Opiate overdoses are killing at the same rate as AIDS did in the late 1980s. Between 2000 and 2015, more than 500,000 people died from opioid overdoses. Users tend to be 15-25, middle class and white. “We can’t bury our heads in the sand and think this opioid epidemic won’t affect our families,” Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said. “Through these Narcan training sessions, I’ve met so many people who have raised their children in very good homes, but have either lost them to overdoses or are fighting a constant battle to help them stay clean.” Stronger than any other opiate, Naloxone or “Narcan,” reverses an opioid overdose by landing on receptor sites in the brain and prevents other opioids from landing on the receptor.

Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton and the Port Washington Police Department co-sponsored a Narcan training session on November 8. During that session, people who nearly died or lost loved ones to opioid overdoses spoke about their experiences. One 19-year-old who has been straight for three years very bluntly said, “Heroin users aren’t just homeless people. I have a home and a loving family.”

A young man spoke about his successful recovery with the help of Vivitrol, an opiate blocker. Not only does Vivitrol reduce the strong urge to use opioids, which is common among recovering addicts, using opiates while taking it don’t provide “highs.” He said, “When I was using, I didn’t care if I lived. Now I’m happy to be alive and be clean.”

A woman spoke about the loss of her brother. He started taking prescription pain medication for an injury, gravitating to heroin when his doctor would no longer prescribe the painkillers. His family thought he had kicked the habit for good until his fatal overdose. They learned that he was ordering heroin online and having it shipped to his house. He left behind two young children.

“We must win this terrible battle that is taking way too many loved ones from us,” DeRiggi-Whitton added. “The recent conviction of a drug dealer who was found guilty of manslaughter after one of his customers died of an overdose is a step in the right direction, but this is a battle that needs to be waged on many fronts.”

For information about future Narcan education and training sessions, visit nassaucountyny.gov/overdosetraining. To learn more about the warning signs of heroin and prevention, visit http://www.heroinprevention.com.

In photo: Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton and Port Washington Police Chief Jim Salerno answer questions during a training session with nearly 100 attendees who left with their life-saving Narcan kits.