Fulton County Ohio Media

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SZt6oPMvRjDgXCtL8

Last Tuesday, May 29^th, the Swanton American Legion hosted a training session on how to administer naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose that is better known by its brand name, Narcan.  The session was sponsored by the Swanton Area Community Coalition (SACC) and its Director MacKenzie Roytek and the training was given collectively by Naloxone Health Educator Joseph Wood (woodj@co.lucas.oh.us) of the Toledo Lucas County Health Department and Public Health Nurse Kati Graham of the Fulton County Health Department.

Mr. Wood gave a brief history of the opioid epidemic we are now in by explaining how it has come in three waves.  The first wave was prescription medications that were given to the public in the late 1990’s without a strong enough warning as to the level of their potential addictive abilities.  The second wave came after successful lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies made it harder to obtain those medications and many users, struggling with opioid use addiction, turned to heroin.  “The third wave started in about 2012-2013 and that’s called the ‘Synthetic Wave’ or ‘Fentanyl Wave’.  This has been the most disastrous wave by far,” he said.

Overdose deaths from opioid use have risen every year since 1999 and reached approximately 112,000 in 2023.  Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is 50-100 times more potent than morphine and car fentanyl is even stronger.  Typically, fentanyl is a clear, tasteless and odorless liquid, but now it is being illegally mixed with other drugs and put into a pill form to look like prescription medicine.  Many users that overdosed from fentanyl were not aware it was contained in the pills they ingested.

Naloxone or Narcan was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1971.  Initially, it was only allowed to be administered by medical professionals.  In years recently, law enforcement officials have been trained in its use and will carry it in their vehicles.  Today, it is available to the general public and is suggested in be placed in businesses, schools and venues where there are large gatherings of people, any of which could suffer from opioid addiction.  Narcan comes as a nasal spray and is easy to administer by following the instructions on the container. 

There are several other brand-name Naloxone treatments available such as Evzio, LifEMS, Narcan Neonatal and Narcan Prefilled.  However, only Narcan is sold over the counter.  Narcan can be acquired for free from the Toledo Lucas County Health Department at 635 N. Erie St. in Toledo, Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:00pm.  (419-213-4168).  Mail order naloxone is available for Lucas County residents at www.lucascountyhealth.com/narcan-training.   Fulton County residents may also obtain free Narcan at the Fulton County Health Department (419-337-0915) or katigraham@fultoncountyoh.com  Fentanyl testing strips are also available.

There are three major points to keep in mind if you find yourself in a situation where you have an opportunity to save a life.  Call 911 immediately.  Ohio’s Good Samaritan Law provides immunity for minor drug possession to people seeking help during a drug overdose.  Narcan has no known side effects and will not exacerbate the condition if administered to an individual suffering from something other than an opioid overdose.  However, it may trigger sudden and severe opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Click on the link above to access photos and copies of the slide show presentation. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: MacKenzie Roytek – Director of the Swanton Area Community Coalition