Overdose Awareness Day is hosted annually on Aug. 31. To highlight this, USARA hosted a Narcan training that was accompanied by speakers, resources and free pizza for all that attended.
“Overdose Awareness Day is a time to remember and a time to act,” shared Debbie Marvidikis with the Southeast Utah Health Department (SEUHD).
She explained that since 2016, when the SEUHD first received funding for addressing the overdose rates in the community, Overdoes Awareness Day has been promoted to remember those that have been lost. The day also serves to provide training and education to ensure no more lives are lost to the epidemic.
Marvidikis explained that drug poisoning deaths are a preventable public health problem that has outpaced deaths from falls, firearms and motor vehicle crashes in the state of Utah.
“Our health district has seen a recent decrease in the number of prescription opioid deaths, but the number of heroin deaths have increased in the same time period,” said Marvidikis. “We want our community to know that it only takes seven days to become dependent on opiates and it only take three days for someone’s tolerance to drop.”
It was stated that most people that experience a lethal overdose (OD) have more than one substance in their system. Opioids is an umbrella term for natural or synthetic drugs that are derived from or related to the opium poppy, explained Marvidikis.
Signs of overdose may include no response to stimuli, shallow or stopped breathing, unusual snoring or gurgling sounds, and blue/grey lips or fingertips. In the event of an overdose, 911 should be called and Narcan should be administered while waiting with the individual.
Anyone prescribed opioid medications such as morphine, methadone, buprenorphine, hydrocodone and oxycodone for chronic or acute pain should be administered Narcan in an overdose event. Family and friends that have been prescribed opioid medications or use heroin and other opioids should also be given Narcan in an OD situation.
Furthermore, any individual that is taking medications to treat depression or depressive substances, such as alcohol, in conjunction with opioids qualify. The Southeast Utah Health Promotion Program provides Narcan along with free training on how to administer it.
ETV