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Rescue corps saves two with Narcan

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Wantagh-Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corps first responders used Narcan, the opioid overdose antidote, to revive two victims on Dec. 14 in unrelated incidents.

WLVAC received a call for an unconscious person and the crew arrived to find the victim without a pulse, not breathing and cyanotic. CPR was initiated and Narcan was quickly administered. The victim’s vital signs began to improve while they were transported.

Less than two hours later, WLVAC received a second call for another heroin overdose. Again, Narcan was administered and the patient improved.


Both patients were transported to a nearby hospital were they were reported responsive and alert.

County offers recovery services

As part of the continuing battle against the opiate epidemic, Nassau County has launched a new treatment initiative to wean addicted residents off heroin or prescription painkillers on an outpatient basis.

Nassau’s drug recovery program, “A Shot at Life,” provides counseling with monthly injections of the non-narcotic medication Vivitrol, which caps the opiate receptors in the brain, blocking the drug’s euphoric effects.

Counseling services at EDNY in Hempstead and Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Services in Hicksville, both state-certified programs, now offer medically supervised outpatient detoxification services for opiate–dependent patients.

For EDNY, residents may call (516) 640-5471 for a phone screening with a medical staff member. For confidential inquiries and intake appointments with Central Nassau, call (516) 822-6111, ext. 209.