Posted by azdrugrehabctr on September 21, 2016 under Addiction Trends, Opiate Abuse | 
A picture of a man and a woman passed out from heroin with a 4-year-old boy in the back seat has gone viral. The picture was released after police pulled over a car that was driving erratically. Officers were able to observe that the driver had slurred speech and pin point pupils. They then noticed the child in the back seat, behind the woman who was passed out. One of the officers snapped the picture, and the police chief made the decision to release it on the city’s Facebook page.
“We are well aware that some may be offended by these images and for that we are truly sorry, but it is time that the non drug using public sees what we are now dealing with on a daily basis,” the city said in their Facebook post.
“The poison known as heroin has taken a strong grip on many communities not just ours. The difference is we are willing to fight this problem until it’s gone and if that means we offend a few people along the way we are prepared to deal with that.”
East Liverpool, Ohio is just one town in the state that is struggling with a massive opioid epidemic. Tens of thousands of people have died in the past year from drug overdoses. Had the police and emergency responders not been able to administer naloxone in time, this couple would likely have died as well.
As for the 4 yr-old boy in the back seat, he has been transported safely to another state to be in the care of other family members. And while some critics of the decision to release the picture of the addicts out of their concern, the image of the young child having to witness the whole scene is a stark reminder that addiction affects everyone involved, not just the addicts themselves.
If you or a loved one is in need of help for a substance abuse problem, contact us today.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on July 6, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Opiate Abuse, Prescription Drugs |
Naloxone is a life-saving drug that has been getting more attention lately due to the number of deaths involving heroin and other opiates. The medication, which is delivered via nasal spray or injection, can reverse an overdose situation on the spot. It has been getting more use lately by first responders, but a group of researchers finds that there is even a greater need to make it more widely available.
A common misconception among most people is that only those who abuse heroin or prescription painkillers will ever be in a situation where they need the life-saving drug to prevent an overdose. However, patients who are prescribed narcotics like OxyContin and Percocet are not immune to accidental overdose. This is especially true for people who take the drug for extended periods of time due to some sort of chronic pain condition.
Experts explain that those who take prescription painkillers may not be aware that having a glass of wine after their dose greatly increases the risk of overdose. Additionally, combining other medications to handle other ailments may also make it more likely to suffer from an overdose.
The research that appears in the Annals of Internal Medicine found a 47% decrease in ER visits among opioid users after six months, and a 63% reduction over one year when patients were also given a prescription for naloxone.
“This study really does show that naloxone has a substantial role to play in managing the opioid epidemic. It’s not the answer to all our problems, but it’s an important tool to prevent mortality,” explained Dr. Phillip Coffin, director of substance use research at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
In addition to educating patients of the risks to life associated with prescription painkillers, it is becoming more necessary to educate family members as well. Oftentimes if someone suffers from an overdose, family members or close friends are the first to find them. Understanding the signs of an overdose can sometimes determine whether the overdose is fatal or not, and having a dose of naloxone available can help save even more lives.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on November 12, 2015 under Addiction Trends, Opiate Abuse, Prescription Drugs |
One high school is making headlines for its bold move against heroin overdoses. They have stockpiled Evzio, which is the brand name of a naloxone injection device used against heroin overdoses. School administrators will train their nursing staff to administer the medicine in the event that one of the students suffers from an overdose of heroin or other opiates. This precautionary measure was taken after the amount of students who abused heroin and pain pills skyrocketed. School officials determined that in order to provide a safe environment for their students they needed to have access to the life-saving medicine.
Naloxone reverses the effects of an opiate overdose by immediately counteracting it and throwing someone into withdrawal. It has become more widely used in emergency settings lately as the opiate addiction problem continues to get worse.
Instead of punishing addicts, many communities are pushing for treatment and proper medical attention. This change in viewpoint comes after more and more families throughout the country have experienced the devastating effects of opiate addiction and understand that punishment does not help as effectively as treatment.
Some people have denounced the increasing availability of naloxone, as they believe it just encourages addicts to continue using their drugs, but with less risk. However, there has been no evidence to support such a stance, and instead there have been many lives saved as a result of the medication being more widely available and used. The fact that schools are now starting to carry and administer the drug speaks volumes about the scope of the opiate problem and how necessary it is to combat it from all levels.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on April 10, 2014 under Opiate Abuse |
A hand-held device, called Evzio, recently received approval from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and is expected to be available to the public this summer. The device is similar to an EpiPen used to stop allergic reactions, and is intended to be a life-saving treatment when administered during an overdose.
In a news release following approval, the FDA recommends that family members or caregivers become familiar with the instructions for use before administering Evzio. When the device is turned on, it gives verbal operating instructions to the user, similar to automated defibrillators that hang in public buildings.
The device is designed to deliver a single dose of the opioid overdose antidote, naloxone. The medication works by blocking the ability of heroin or opioid painkillers to attach to brain cells. The FDA notes that because naloxone may note work as long as opioids, repeat doses may be needed. The news release also states that users should seek immediate emergency medical care after administering the antidote.
“This is a big deal, and I hope it gets wide attention,” said Dr. Carl R. Sullivan III, Director of the Addictions Program at West Virginia University. “It’s pretty simple: Having these things in the hands of people around drug addicts just makes sense because you’re going to prevent unnecessary mortality.”
FDA officials say that they speedily approved the device in just 15 weeks because it is critical to prevent deaths by overdose, which have been on the rise despite the agency’s recent efforts. In the past year, the FDA has recommended tightening prescription practices and the changing of labeling requirements for opioid prescription drugs, although many experts believe these are just baby steps on the way to tackling the bigger issues.
“They’re plucking the low-lying fruit, but the hard things haven’t been done,” said Dr. Katz of Tufts University. FDA Commissioner, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, agrees with Dr. Katz’s suggestion to require doctors who prescribe highly addictive opioids to get training in how to do it properly. Such training is currently voluntary.
To address the concerns like those of Dr. Katz, Dr. Hamburg emphasized that “tackling the opioid epidemic is a high priority for the FDA,” according to the release. The FDA has made a point to be outspoken about it’s efforts to fight opioid abuse since receiving criticism last fall when it approved the powerful hydrocodone drug, Zohydro, against the advice of the expert panel.
Even though some are concerned that the existence of an overdose antidote will encourage drug users to be even more cavalier with their drug use, many are hopeful that the increased availability of the Evzio device will result in benefits that significantly outweigh the risks.
