Reversing a drug overdose with Narcan

What would you do if someone were overdosing on heroin or opiate-based painkillers right in front of you? How can you tell the difference between someone who’s just high and someone who may need lifesaving measures? Is there anything that can be done once you’ve dialed 911?

These and many other questions were answered on Jan. 28 at the East Rockaway Grant Avenue firehouse, when representatives from the Nassau County Department of Human Services’ Office of Mental Health, Chemical Dependency & Developmental Disabilities presented a free overdose training seminar as part of a behavioral health awareness campaign.

That night, dozens of people were trained and certified in the use of Narcan, or naloxone, and received a kit with the necessary lifesaving items.

“We’ve seen more fatal overdoses in the last three months in Oceanside and East Rockaway,” said Eden Laikin, the county’s director of governmental research. “But it’s a problem in every community. Narcan is one of the best tools we have. Our training combines how to recognize an overdose with how to administer the antidote.”

Because most heroin is now 40 percent pure (as compared to 10 to 20 percent in the 1960s and ’70s), it doesn’t have to be injected with a needle — it can be inhaled, snorted or smoked. It’s easy to obtain, and it’s less expensive than it was years ago.

Young heroin users are just part of the problem. A surprising statistic reveals that the most common age group for deaths caused by opiates is 65- to 70-year-olds.

“It’s their painkillers,” said David Hymowitz, director of Program Development at the Mental Health Association of Nassau County, who gave the presentation. “They take their prescription medication, then forget during the night, then take more. They overdose. Many die with someone sleeping right next to them.”

Narcan to the rescue

A state law passed in 2006 allows citizens to administer Narcan in an attempt to save a life without fear of liability. Nassau County has trained more than 2,400 people in Narcan use since 2012, and at least a dozen trainees have used that knowledge, along with the kit, to revive someone who was overdosing on heroin or painkillers, ultimately saving a life.