Learning how to save someone else’s life

Throughout the nation, the opioid crisis has severely impacted thousands of households. One solution, though, is hoping to minimize the opioid deaths in the Long Beach community.

In March, after recommendations and pressure from the medical community, the Food and Drug Administration approved a revolutionary drug, Narcan, for over-the-counter sales at pharmacies across the nation.

Long Beach city officials said in March that the federal government’s approval of Narcan, the leading version of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, is going to prove a benefit to Long Beach.

Narcan has been a staple in the medical community for years to help prevent, or reverse, opioid overdoses. Narcan itself is a popular brand name of a nasal spray version of naloxone, a drug that blocks the drug’s effect on the brain and can give a victim a chance of recovery before it is too late.

Naloxone can help reverse overdose effects on numerous drugs including heroin, fentanyl, Percocet, oxycontin and Vicodin, in addition to other deadly drugs.

With the efficacy of Narcan being praised by medical professionals and officials alike, the Long Beach Police Department offered a training session on how to administer the drug this past Saturday at a Key Food in west Long Beach.

Dozens of residents attended a pop-up stand outside Key Food in Long Beach’s West End to receive a free, five-minute training, held by the city’s police department, which could turn out to be vital in saving a life.

“We were surprised by the turnout,” said Raymond Tormey, who put on the exhibition together with his wife, Kate. “To have entire groups of people coming over and learning was great.”

The training started with Kate making sure that the responders could recognize the situation as it was happening.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a 12-year-old or an 85-year-old, this can help anyone,” said Kate Tormey, the lead demonstrator at the training session. “Anyone can be suffering an overdose, and every situation can be unique.”

In the case of a potential overdose, symptoms could be if a person is passed out and cannot be woken up, if they are not breathing or breathing very slowly, if they are making gurgling sounds or if they have lips that are a blue or grayish color.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, naloxone will not harm someone if you give it to them and they are not overdosing on an opioid.

Although the administration of Narcan is an effective measure to help reduce opioid overdoses, Kate emphasized through her training to call 911 for medical backup if the case ever arises. “It’s great to save someone’s life, but you need lifesavers afterwards, too,” she added.

Kate also stressed to not have any doubts about saving someone from an overdose, especially if one is worried about potential charges or lawsuits arising from the victim during the situation.

“You’re always protected under New York State’s Good Samaritan Law,” she said. “It allows you to call 911 without fear of arrest or litigation if you witness someone overdosing.”

The New York State Department of Health website also emphasizes this law for anyone who witnesses an overdose of any kind.

One of the only complaints amongst many in the medical industry is the current price of the drug, especially when purchased over the counter. Biotech company Emergent BioSolutions said in April that they plan to price two doses of their Narcan product under the $50 mark.

For the Tormeys, they had a simple reason behind offering these free training sessions.

“Long Beach has always been a community of people looking out for each other,” Kate said. “We just want to carry that on as long as we can.”

If interested, anyone can attend a similar training session again Saturday at Key Food, 663 E. Park Ave.

Training sessions and supplemental materials will be given out in addition to free Narcan kits.