With the burgeoning availability of the opioid-antidote naloxone, first-responders have a better chance of preventing fatal overdoses. While the Delray Beach Drug Task Force is pleased access to naloxone has increased, task force members are urging the public not to forgo medical treatment after its use.
“Many people don’t realize that an overdose can outlast the effects of the naloxone, so anyone who has overdosed needs to be taken to a hospital immediately,” task force executive director Suzanne Spencer said. “Pharmacy chains have made the drug available as an over-the-counter medication without the need of a prescription, which we support, as long as the person in need gets that crucial medical care.”
Delray Beach Fire Rescue and Delray Beach Police have administered naloxone on hundreds of calls this year. Naloxone is most often used by first responders when they treat someone who has suffered an opioid overdose. Those people are always transported to a hospital for further care.
Opioid-related deaths are preventable, but just like when someone has a heart attack, the chance of surviving an overdose depends greatly on how fast one receives medical assistance. Florida’s Good Samaritan Law, which was enacted to prevent fatal overdoses by encouraging people to dial 911 during an overdose, protects those callers and the overdose victims from simple drug possession and drug paraphernalia possession charges.
Please help us save lives by spreading this information and using Narcan safely.