Survey finds more than 3 in 4 Americans don’t feel they could help someone suffering an opioid overdose

International Overdose Awareness Day is a worldwide marketing campaign held every Aug. 31 that acknowledges the grief of household and mates left behind from those that have died from a drug overdose. This yr’s marketing campaign theme “Together we will” highlights the ability of the neighborhood standing collectively to assist finish overdose.

However, a brand new survey of 1,000 Americans from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine discovered greater than three in 4 Americans say they’d not have the ability to step in to deal with an overdose.

“A latest Ohio State survey discovered that 77% of individuals are involved that they would not have the ability to reply in the event that they noticed somebody having an overdose. And whereas, I’m not shocked about this end result, I’m deeply involved as a result of we all know that the extra of us who’re ready to avoid wasting a life, the extra lives we will save,” stated Trent Hall, DO, an dependancy medication doctor in Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health.

Drug overdose is the main reason behind unintended demise within the United States, with an estimated 293 individuals dying from overdose day by day, in keeping with the National Center for Health Statistics.

Two FDA-approved medicines at the moment are obtainable for anybody to make use of to assist deal with an overdose brought on by opioids, akin to fentanyl.

Both naloxone and nalmefene, that are offered below the model names Narcan and Opvee, are nasal sprays which might be easy to make use of to reverse the results of an opioid overdose.

“Some individuals inform me that they are nervous or uncomfortable with the concept of utilizing naloxone to avoid wasting a life,” Hall stated. “But there’s nothing extra terrifying than being within the second, seeing somebody who’s having an overdose, and being powerless to assist. Carrying naloxone empowers you to avoid wasting a life in your neighborhood.”

Naloxone is obtainable over-the-counter with no prescription, and lots of community-based packages additionally present naloxone without spending a dime.

Opioid overdose occurs in communities everywhere in the nation. The dangerously potent opioid fentanyl is usually combined into different substances or disguised as other forms of drugs, so individuals may not even know that they’ve had it till it is too late.

“We know that we’re shedding greater than 100,000 lives within the United States yearly on account of drug overdose. Naloxone has saved numerous lives throughout this nation. We’ll actually by no means know what number of lives have been saved as a result of so many overdoses go unreported,” Hall stated.

In the previous 20 years, overdose demise charges have elevated fourfold, stated Hall, who additionally conducts analysis at Ohio State on opioid use dysfunction.

“Our personal analysis exhibits that when sufferers come right here for therapy of opioid use dysfunction, the common affected person has survived 5 unintended overdoses earlier than coming right here. And every a type of was a doubtlessly deadly occasion,” Hall stated.

“Imagine somebody exhibiting up for therapy who’d had 5 coronary heart assaults earlier than, or 5 strokes. This is each bit as harmful, and naloxone is one thing that we will all use to avoid wasting a life.”

When to manage naloxone

If somebody is unconscious, not respiratory and unable to reply when gently shaken, naloxone ought to be administered. If the individual has handed out for one more motive aside from an opiod overdose, giving them naloxone won’t trigger any hurt.

How to manage naloxone

• Check the one who may be having an overdose.
• Shout their title and shake their shoulder.
• If they aren’t respiratory, open up naloxone nasal spray and spray into their nostrils.
• Call 911 to ensure they get consideration from emergency medical providers.
• Another does of naloxone could also be wanted if they do not reply to the primary dose after 2-3 minutes.
• Stay with them till emergency assist arrives.
• Watch this video to learn to administer naloxone.

“The availability to buy naloxone with no prescription helps to place this life-saving medicine in the best fingers on the proper moments. Increasing consciousness and coaching alternatives provides extra individuals the boldness to step in and save a life,” Hall stated.