Brad Lamm, CIP
This past Thursday a memorandum by Attorney General Eric Holder was issued urging our law enforcement units to carry Naloxone kits equipped to reverse heroin overdose. And this isn’t the first time it’s been brought up on a national level.
Here’s how it works: by treating the overdose, Naloxone blocks the body’s ability to respond to the opiate (drug) in the body. Naloxone stops death from overdose, right before they occur.
Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported by CBS News, death totals are 20% greater today than they were in 2006. That was only 8 years ago. In 2010, “there were more than 16,000 deaths from prescription painkillers and 3,000 drug deaths due to heroin.” We can only assume its gotten worse since then.
Naloxone “temporarily restores the signals until the individual receives appropriate medical care.” This can save many lives.
While Naloxone is a great way to save an addict’s life, addressing the disease of addiction is the only way an addicted loved one can truly live, out of the woods. Getting off the drugs and finding a new way to live is the goal of recovery for all. Many will get there, many will not but live useful lives – so here’s to stopping overdoses in their tracks!
I’m all for Naloxone kits, and even as I type we are working to get staff trained and Naloxone installed at Breathe Life Centers Campus and Clinics.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction and you need some help with getting them – call me. I’ve helped over a thousand beautiful souls get into treatment and have a real heart for helping match the person with the best treatment available. Call our Intervention HelpLine to talk with my team at (800) 763-1597.
To change and chapters.
