Download SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year

SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year-End Report
History:
By the end of 2012 it was becoming clear that Lorain County was facing a crisis. Overdose
deaths had nearly tripled from 2011 where there were 22 deaths to 2012 where there were 60
deaths. Seeing these deaths increase exponentially, Lorain County Coroner, Stephen Evans
convened a group with the goal of addressing overdose deaths. This group, initially called the
Lorain Narcan Task Force, included Dr. Evans, representatives from: Alcohol and Drug Addiction
Service Board of Lorain County, University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center, Mercy Hospital, Lorain
County General Health District, Elyria City Health Department, Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office,
Law enforcement including Lorain County Sheriff’s Department Lorain County Drug Task Force,
Local Police Department Personnel (Lorain, Elyria), representatives from substance abuse
treatment, family support, community coalitions and peer support. The group began meeting to
discuss how to reduce overdose deaths through the distribution of nasal naloxone.
Aware of similar programs throughout the country, the group sought out Project DAWN
in Portsmouth, OH as a model for possible replication. Project DAWN originated in Scioto County
at “ground zero” of the prescription pill crisis. Named after Leslie Dawn Cooper, a young mother
who died as a result of opioid overdose, and an acronym for Deaths Avoided With Naloxone, the
project utilized a Public Health Distribution model to provide nasal naloxone kits to the public
free of charge. Staff of the program was eager to assist sharing their strategies, policies, and
lessons learned to assist the group in the planning process. The Ohio Department of Health
(ODH) was integrally involved supporting and Promoting Project DAWN throughout the state.
Technical assistance was also provided by the Cuyahoga County Health Department.
Through the connections with ODH and Project DAWN of Portsmouth, The Lorain Narcan
Task Force opted to align their name to share the common goals and resources being utilized in
other parts of the state. Project DAWN of Lorain County continued to meet monthly since
August, 2012, to pursue public health distribution of nasal naloxone.
Senator Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, introduced a bill to the Ohio Senate on
2/27/13 proposing that Lorain County become a pilot for first responders including law
enforcement to carry and administer nasal naloxone. Senate Bill 57 was passed unanimously
through the Senate and House and was signed into law by Governor Kasich on 7/11/13 to become
effective 10/11/13.
The Bill required development of training for first responders to be provided by the Lorain
County Coroner or his designated licensed health professional, development of a monthly
reporting procedure, and completion of a report at the completion of the pilot period. This report
is pursuant to the stipulations of the Bill. The complete Bill, as enacted, can be found in Appendix
A.
SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year End Report
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Preparation for Rollout:
Elaine Georgas of the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lorain County and
Gregg Mehling of the Lorain County Drug Task Force proudly accompanied Senator Gayle
Manning at the signing of the Bill by Governor Kasich. As the Bill would become effective on
10/11/13, there was much preparation to do. Project DAWN Lorain County eagerly began this
work and continued to meet monthly to conduct the pilot. Detective Michael Gidich of the Lorain
Police Department - Narcotics Bureau and Dr. Evans took the lead in utilizing known instructional
procedures from ODH Project DAWN, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit, and protocols from active law
enforcement naloxone programming in Quincy, Massachusetts to produce a localized training
presentation for law enforcement and fire fighters. Dr. Evans and Detective Gidich created a
video with the assistance of Lorain City Schools to demonstrate the appropriate administration
of the medication. The training presentation can be found in Appendix B.
The Bill required the Coroner to designate a health professional(s) to provide the training
to first responders. Dr. Evans completed some of the initial trainings himself and also designated
Mike Gidich (also a trained paramedic) and Natalie Karn, RN of the Lorain County General Health
District as trainers. Lorain Police Department was the first department to be trained.
The training consisted of information on opioids, overdose risks, signs of overdose,
education and instruction on naloxone, administration of the medication, the importance of
calling 911, rescue breathing, and data collection/reporting procedures.
Other police departments in the County were all trained within the first few months of
the pilot. The complete list of responders and the months in which they were trained can be
found in Appendix C. In accordance with the Bill, each responder received a certificate signed by
the coroner attesting to the completion of training and their ability to administer nasal naloxone
to apparent opioid overdoses. Fire Department personnel and EMS were also trained in the same
manner. Many (but not all) of the Fire Personnel already served as EMTs or paramedics and
were, therefore, already administering IV naloxone when responding to the scene of an apparent
overdose. This initially posed a challenge in counting the trained responders (since several
departments were mixed in their medical capacity) and tracking the naloxone administrations
accurately. Project DAWN Lorain County discussed the issue and agreed to capture all nasal
naloxone administrations (and not IV administrations), as the use of nasal naloxone was new to
all departments.
Lorain Police Department (LPD) was also the first department to develop a policy for the
storage, carrying, and administration of the medication. LPD was generous and shared their
policy for other departments to assist in creation of their own departmental policies. LPD’s policy
can be found in Appendix D.
The local hospital systems were the medication providers for the pilot. They supplied the
departments with the medication, nasal adapters, and face shields. University Hospitals Elyria
SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year End Report
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Medical Center and Mercy Regional Medical Center were integral partners in the planning and
implementation process. They remain committed to continuing to support the project by
continuing to supply and refill the naloxone for the departments.
The Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lorain County served as a hub for the
collection of monthly data. With the assistance of Detective Gidich, a form was developed for
the collection and reporting of data for each administration of nasal naloxone pursuant to the
Bill. These reports were to be submitted to ADAS and collected by the 5 th day of each month.
The reports were then summarized by ADAS staff and submitted to the Ohio Department of
Health as required by the bill. Raymond Romero of the Lorain County General Health District
assisted by summarizing key data points. The data collection forms that were used in the pilot
can be found in Appendix E.
A press conference was held on October 4th to announce the start of the pilot and to
inform the public of the initiative. The press release and items included in the media packet can
be found in Appendix F. Several media outlets attended the press conference and ran coverage
in print and on television. The photo below from the press conference shows (from left to right)
LPD Detective Mike Gidich; City of Lorain Mayor, Chase Ritenauer; City of Lorain Chief of Police,
Cel Rivera; Ohio Senator Gayle Manning; Lorain County Coroner, Dr. Steven Evans; and Executive
Director of the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lorain County, Elaine Georgas.
SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year End Report
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Results:
Results of the pilot were seen almost immediately. The second weekend in November,
2013, not quite a month after the pilot went into effect, there was a deadly batch of heroin
containing Fentanyl on the streets. That weekend, 21 people overdosed as a result of the potent
drug. Sadly, three individuals lost their lives that weekend. This number would likely have been
much higher had law enforcement not been able to administer naloxone. First responders
administered nasal naloxone 16 times in November 2013 (double the highest administration of
any other month of the pilot). A similar incident near Pittsburgh in February, 2014 resulted in 14
deaths. Law enforcement in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania were not carrying naloxone.
Pittsburgh has had long standing public health distribution to addicts, however.
In 2013, while the overdose rate continued to rise to 67 deaths, the rate of increase
slowed. The pilot impacted the rate of increase. The official data for 2014 will likely show a
similar number of overdose deaths to that of 2013. However, with 63 saves attributed to the
pilot, it is clear to see that the death rate could have been much higher.
For the pilot year (October 2013-October 2014), the following data was collected:
69 total administrations of nasal naloxone due to the pilot
63 Total known reversals
48 Police reversals
15 Fire reversals
2 Deceased
2 Unknown Results (the status of the patient was unknown once turned over to EMS)
2 Ineffective (the cause of the symptoms was determined not likely opioid related)
The charts below detail data points gleaned from the DAWN reporting forms and/or
supplemental reports shared by the responding departments.
SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year End Report
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# Overdoses responded to in pilot program
16
16
14
12
10
8
8
6
6
6
6
4
2
1
2
3
5
5
2
3
6
# times nasal NARCAN used by 1st
responder
0
As previously mentioned, November saw a higher rate of responses due to a particularly lethal
form of opioid available on the streets.
SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year End Report
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NARCAN 1st Responder by Month
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
13
2
1
1
1
4
4
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
Amherst Police
Avon Police
Elyria Police
Lorain Police
Oberlin Police
Sheffield Lake Police
Vermilion Police
1
2
1
2
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
2
1
Avon Fire
Elyria Fire
Lorain County Sheriff
North Ridgeville Police
Sheffield Lake Fire
Sheffield Twp Fire
Wellington Police
This chart details the number of administrations per department, per month.
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# Vials Administered per Individual
4 Vials, 3, 4%
Unknown #
Vials, 5, 7%
3 Vials, 2, 3%
1 Vial, 27, 39%
2 Vials, 33, 47%
While officers carried 2 doses of naloxone on their person, this chart shows that most overdoses
required at least 2 doses to produce effect.
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# Overdoses by department
34
9
1
1
4
2
1
1
4
5
1
2
2
2
Lorain Police administer naloxone the most times of any department during the pilot year.
Regained Consciousness
(October 2013-October 2014)
No, 13,
20%
Yes, 51,
80%
Most individuals regained consciousness before/as they were turned over to EMS.
SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year End Report
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Male or Female
Female,
24, 35%
Male, 45,
65%
Around two thirds of the overdoses responded to were males.
Age Groups
27
17
11
6
5
3
0
< 17 years
18-21
years
22-30
years
31-40
years
41-50
years
51-60
years
61+
While the majority of overdoses were seen in the 22-33 year old age range, there were
administrations in all adult age ranges. The wise age range is further evidence of the span of the
opioid epidemic in Lorain County.
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Discussion with Detective Gidich indicated additional anecdotal success of the pilot in
relation to the saves that occurred from his department. He shared that many or most of the
saves that occurred were of individuals not previously known to the department and not know
to the department since. These individuals, for the most part, were not previously known law
offenders and have, for the most part, stayed out of trouble since their overdose. He has
followed up with several of the individuals saved by the pilot project, and has found that several
have found their overdose to be a wake-up call. Formally in treatment and informally, these
individuals are making changes to improve their lives. LPD Chief Cel Rivera wrote a letter to
Project DAWN summarizing their efforts and success from the pilot. His letter can be found in
Appendix G.
It is only known that one individual was revived more than once as a result of the program.
Some departments shared not to share the names of the individuals receiving naloxone. In
comparing the names of the majority of the individuals receiving naloxone, only one individual
received the medication on two separate occasions. It is to be noted that, outside of the
responding departments and the Coroner, only those involved in the data collection for this pilot
had access to the names of those receiving naloxone. All official reporting contained only
numbers, ages, and sex of the recipients.
Sadly, per the Coroner, three individuals who were previously saved by nasal naloxone
subsequently fatally overdosed. Due to the detail of the DAWN reports, it is noteworthy that at
least two of the saves in the pilot were suicide attempts.
It is also clear that public perception is changing around the use of naloxone and the role
of law enforcement in overdose situations. Six months prior to the pilot becoming effective. The
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lorain County (ADAS) participated in a training of
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officers. Within the topic of responding to substance abuse
situations and dual diagnosis individuals, the work of project DAWN was mentioned. At that
time, several of the officers expressed significant concerns regarding the use of naloxone and the
message that may be sent to addicts. Online comments by the public to articles to articles
regarding the opioid epidemic were telling as well. While there were some comments focused
on solutions and recovery, many comments were rampant with talks of “thinning the herd.” One
year later at the local CIT training with a new group of officers, feedback was different. At that
point, officers had been carrying naloxone for six months. Three officers in the training had
administered the medication on the scene of overdoses and were able to discuss the impact of
seeing someone effectively come back to life as a result of their intervention. The mood in the
room was palpably different than the year prior. The pride the officers felt in their action was
visible.
As news of the success of the pilot spread, Project DAWN Lorain County began receiving
inquiries into the program. Calls came in from around the state as went as nationally and even
internationally. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy shared their interest in
the project and the ADAS Board Executive Director participated in the call to share details of the
SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year End Report
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pilot. Media coverage continued through the course of the pilot, and members of Project DAWN
Lorain County were often called upon to share the progress and results of the pilot in public and
professional forums. Dr. Jessica Rando, physician and daughter of Dr. Evans, published the
project data in a research article for a medical journal and presented the same at a medical
conference. Appendix J includes samples of the media coverage for our Project.
Finally, the successful collaboration that has occurred as a result Project DAWN Lorain
County has been an invaluable benefit to the community in fighting the opioid epidemic. One
DAWN member described the work as, “a public health success story” involving full partnership
between all stakeholders. Though the pilot year has concluded, the DAWN team will continue to
work to address the opioid epidemic and overdose deaths. The Lorain County Health
Improvement Plan (CHIP) includes the goal to, “Reduce overdose deaths from opiates/heroin by
25% within 3 years (approximately 17 fewer deaths) by December 31, 2017.” While Project
DAWN Lorain County takes pride in the work completed through the pilot, we recognize that
there is still much to be done.
Additional Issues Impacting Project DAWN:
House Bill 170 became effective on 3/11/14 and expanded the access of nasal naloxone
to law enforcement statewide and loved ones of opiate users. The initial passage of the bill
required law enforcement agencies to obtain a Terminal Distributer of Dangerous Drugs (TDDD)
license to possess the medication. This process involved an application process and a fee. While
Lorain County was exempt from this requirement during the pilot year, in polling the participating
departments, it concerned some that the process and expense may become a deterrent to
departments participating. House Bill 483 became effective on 9/15/14 and removed the
language requiring the TDDD. A cross-walk of the pertinent Ohio legislation regarding access and
administration of naloxone can be found in Appendix H.
As the access expanded to all Ohio law enforcement, The Ohio Police Officer Training
Academy (OPOTA) reached out to Project DAWN of Lorain County for feedback in developing
their training video. Detective Gidich and LPD assisted by participating in the video.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, after reviewing the data gathered from the Senate Bill 57 Pilot, Project
DAWN of Lorain County unequivocally believes this project has saved lives, has impacted the
opioid epidemic by the lives saved, has impacted public perception of the opioid epidemic, and
should indeed be continued. The passage of House Bill 170 indeed supports this conclusion.
Project DAWN Lorain County supports the expansion of access to naloxone through the
legislation previously discussed.
SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year End Report
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As with any new endeavor, there have been lessons learned in the process of the pilot.
In terms of data collection, ADAS collected reporting from each department. Each department
identified a consistent contact that forwarded their DAWN reports and kept in touch regarding
any issues that occurred. While each contact was very responsive and the team believes that the
data collected was complete and accurate, the more hands involved in data collection the more
likely that errors can occur. Also, in collecting data from each department, it was not possible to
complete the official monthly reporting by the fifth day of the following month.
In hindsight, compiling consistent data points might have been more effective if the
reporting form was structured somewhat differently. When potential improvements were
noted, all departments had already printed forms and were comfortable with the reporting
process. It was decided that it might be disruptive to make changes in the reporting form at that
time. Some departments chose to forward their internal incident reports either instead of or as
a supplement to the DAWN reporting form. In all cases, the internal reports captured at
minimum the data points required by the pilot and requested on the DAWN reporting form.
Often the internal reports offered additional detail that may not have otherwise been noted on
the DAWN form.
Another consideration in the reporting process was the balance between the goals of
gathering useful data and practical reporting needs. The reporting process was not intended to
create an undue burden on responders. ADAS attempted to facilitate this process by creating an
online option for submitting the report. Unfortunately, the link did not work as expected and
department contacts forwarded their reports via email, fax, or in person.
Each department did an excellent job of reporting when new officers were trained. Due
to their diligence, it is believed that the rosters of trained responders is accurate. As there were
quite a few departments involved in the pilot and more than one designated trainer, keeping
track off all qualified responders could have been very difficult.
As Lorain County law enforcement agencies continue with Project DAWN, there may be
some ongoing challenges. The local hospital systems in Lorain County have remained committed
to supplying the medication for law enforcement. To maintain this project in any community
takes a commitment of funding. Another challenge could be the management of medication
supply. As there have been administrations of the medication, there has been a need to replace
doses. In addition, the medication has an expiration date. As the expiration approaches, it will
be necessary for these to be replaced. At present, the hospital systems supplying the medication
are working with individual department to keep track of their current needs.
As previously indicated, fire responders were included in the pilot. The language of House
Bill 170 and House Bill 484 does not include fire personnel in the expansion of access to naloxone.
However, most fire departments have some medical personnel in their response teams that have
always had access to naloxone, so it is not believed that this will be a gap.
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One significant gap has been identified as a result of this pilot. It is often unknown what
happens to a patient once they are transferred to medical care. If a goal is to reduce opioid
deaths, there may be a missing connection to treatment and recovery support. Recognizing this
gap, DAWN ensured that all departments have pamphlets with treatment and recovery support
information that can be given to patients, family, and bystanders as appropriate. In addition,
DAWN members are working to tighten communication loops and referral procedures to best
assist survivors.
SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County Pilot Year End Report
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Dr Stephen Evans- Lorain County Coroner’s Office
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services
Lorain Police Department
Lorain County Sheriff’s Office
Elyria Police Department
Lorain County Prosecutors Office
Lorain County Drug Abuse Services
Lorain County General Health District
Lorain City Health Department
Elyria Health Department
Mercy Hospital and Elyria Memorial Hospital
SOLACE
Lorain City Schools TV 20
Deaths Avoided With Naloxone
What is Naloxone?
Naloxone commonly known as Narcan is a medication that can
reverse and overdose caused by an opioid drug. When
administered during an overdose, Naloxone blocks the effects of
opioids on the brain and restores breathing within two to eight
minutes. It has been safely used by emergency medical
professionals for over forty years and has only one function: to
reverse the effects of opioids on the brain and respiratory system to
prevent death.
Liability Concerns……………..
No Liability if
acting in good faith
for first responders
One in six people have used Opiods inappropriately
One in thirty seven are addicted to Opiods
Drug overdoses have become the leading
cause of accidental death in Lorain County, the
State of Ohio and The United States
The number of overdose deaths in
Lorain County tripled between 2011 and
2012
Overdose prevention…
The fact that overdose
prevention programs exist send
the message that people’s lives
are worth saving, that their
lives are important, that the
public health systems and
community members do want
programs like this around
Overdose responders are
proud of their involvement in
overdose prevention
Myths about overdose and reversal
It is a waste of time to give opioid
users Narcan, since they are not capable
of recognizing and managing an OD
The person who receives Narcan will
react violently when the medication is
administered and his/her OD is
reversed
The fact that drug users can have
access to Narcan will postpone their
entry into drug treatment, and it will
also encourage riskier drug use
Opioids are sedative narcotics
They are used in medicine mainly to relieve pain
Opioids repress the urge to breathe- when someone is
having an opioid overdose, they stop breathing and could die
If person is awake and coherent wait for rescue squad
What puts people at risks for overdoses?
Changes in tolerance- People who have
not used and coming back to their
normal dose (Leaving rehab, or an
extended period of being clean)
Mixing drugs- benzos, alcohol &
cocaine especially
Physical health
Previous experience of non-fatal
overdose
Variation in strength and content of
‘street’ drugs
Reporting for first responders
In addition to any other
reporting as per agency policy a
simple one page form will be
used
This will be submitted and is
important to keep track of Narcan
administered and saves for first
responders
Lorain County
Date and time administered:____________________/______________
Dosage amount:____________________________
Name of Officer or person administering Narcan:
________________________________________
Name of person receiving Narcan:
Date of birth:
_____________________________/__________________
Brief overview of events: (To include results of administration)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Signature and date :____________________________________________________________
Copy to Agency
Copy to ADAS for county statistics
Atomizer
Additional Points:
If an overdose occurs CALL
911
Administer Narcan
Place victim in recovery
position
Consider rescue breathing
Placing a person on their side or recovery position can assist in keeping their
airway clear
See video for
instructions….
Questions????????????
???????????????
Appendix E.
Media Packet
Appendix F.
Reporting Form
Lorain County
Date and time administered:____________________/______________
Name of Officer or person administering Narcan/Dosage (Ex; 1 vial)
______________________/__________________
Name of person receiving Narcan:
Date of birth:
_____________________________/__________________
Brief overview of events: (To include results of administration)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Signature and date :__________________________/__________________________________
Copies:
Law Enforcement Agency
Pharmacy
Lorain County ADAS Board
 Please fax to ADAS (440) 282-9928 no later than the first business day of
the month for reporting compliance
Appendix H.
Legislation Summary
Summary of Ohio Legislation Relevant to the Distribution of
Naloxone
SB57: Introduced by Senator Manning 2/27/13, Unanimously approved through
the House and Senate, Signed by Governor Kasich 7/11/13, Effective 10/11/13

Established a one-year pilot project in Lorain County pursuant to which qualified
emergency responders in that County may obtain and administer naloxone to revive a
person suffering from an apparent opioid-related overdose.
HB170: Effective 3/11/14
Expands access to naloxone as follows:



To Peace Officers employed by a law enforcement agency licensed as a TDDD when
administered in good faith to an individual apparently experiencing an opioid-related
overdose.
To clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse-midwifes and certified nurse practitioners
holding certificates to prescribe, physician’s assistant holding a certificate to prescribe,
and physicians to personally furnish a supply or issue a prescription for naloxone
(intranasal device or autoinjector) without having examined the individual to whom it
may be administered when the supply or prescription is issued to and in the name of a
family member, friend, or other individual in a position to assist an individual who there
is reason to believe is at risk of experiencing and opioid-related overdose and there is
instruction to summon emergency services immediately upon use.
Language is specific to Law Enforcement (does not include firefighter).
HB483 Sec.4729.51 (B) and (C): Effective 9/15/14




Allows for sale of naloxone to a law enforcement agency for lawful administration of
naloxone
Allows law enforcement agencies and peace officers to possess naloxone for
administration to individuals who are apparently experiencing opioid-related overdoses
Removes the language requiring TDDD for law enforcement
Language is specific to law enforcement (does not include firefighter).
Appendix I.
Project DAWN of Lorain County Participant Roster
SB 57 Project DAWN Lorain County
Roster of Participants
















Dr. Stephen Evans, Lorain County Coroner
Elaine Georgas, Christine Robinson, Pamela Waite, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of
Lorain County
Cel Rivera, Michael Gidich, Tom Nimon, Lorain Police Department
Eric Remster, Mercy
Dave Covell, Natalie Karn, Raymond Romero, Lorain County General Health District
Dennis Will, Rick Thomas, Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office
Diana Marrero-Pinto, Young Adult Alcohol and Drug Awareness
Don Halliday, Douglas McDonald, Donald Schiffbauer, Tim Hughes, Richard Hausrod, University
Hospital – Elyria Medical Center
Phil Stammitti, Dennis Cavanaugh, Gregg Mehling, Don Barker, Lorain County Sheriff’s Office
and Lorain County Drug Task Force
Catherine Gabe, Communities That Care of Lorain County
Kathy Loos, SOLACE of Lorain County
Kathy Boylan, Kathy Loughrie, Elyria and Lorain City Health Departments
Duane Whitely, Matt Eichenlaub, Elyria police Department
Tom Stuber, Sabrina Jones, Leesa Clark, Lisa Stevens, Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Services, Inc.
Bruce Shade, City of Elyria
Brett Varney
Appendix J
In the News
County police to add Narcan, heroin
overdose medicine, to arsenal
1/2
Morning Journal/Richard Payerchin These items will be included in the Project DAWN kits for Lorain
police. Officers will carry Narcan, a drug that counteracts the effects of opiate overdoses, in hopes of
reducing the number of drug overdose deaths in the city.
‹›
By Richard Payerchin, The Morning Journal
POSTED: 10/04/13, 11:56 PM EDT |
0 COMMENTS
LORAIN — Starting next week, Lorain County law officers will get a new weapon to
combat drug overdoses.
Police officers will begin carrying Narcan, a medicine that can counter the effects of
overdoses of heroin, prescription painkillers and other opioid drugs. The project is a
pilot program in Ohio that officials believe will save lives of people struggling with drug
addiction.
“We are taking the initiative along with the risk, but it’s worth it because we are going to
save lives,” said Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans.
On Friday, he joined state Sen. Gayle Manning, Lorain police Chief Cel Rivera and
others at Lorain City Hall to roll out Project DAWN, or Deaths Avoided with Naloxone.
Legislation to create the program had unanimous approval in Columbus and Lorain
police will get kits with the medicine starting Oct. 12, 90 days after Gov. John Kasich
signed Manning’s bill into law.
The drug deaths have reached epidemic proportions in Lorain County, with 61
overdoses reported last year and the county on pace to hit 75 this year, Evans said. The
number has grown from about 10 a year in the 1990s. There were 21 in 2010.
“In this case, these are preventable deaths,” he said.
Manning agreed Lorain County and Ohio reflect what has grown to be a national
problem.
“We’re just trying to find a solution here,” she said. “Hopefully, it will be a program that
we will be able save a lot of lives with and it will go statewide.”
Manning credited Rivera and Evans for calling her office to inquire how state lawmakers
could help save lives.
Narcan has been used by hospital staffers and medics for years, but police officers —
who may be the first responders at the scene — have not carried the drug.
County officials said they needed help from Columbus because the Ohio Board of
Pharmacy did not agree Ohio law permitted police to administer the drug, Rivera said.
He also credited Mercy Regional Medical Center and Eric Remster, the hospital’s
pharmacy chief, and EMH Elyria Medical Center, along with the health departments of
Lorain, Elyria and the county.
Lorain police officers will carry doses of the drug to administer as a nasal spray injection
to people who are suspected to be overdosing on heroin or other opiate drugs.
The medicine will not bring dead people back to life, but it will counteract the effects of
narcotic drugs long enough to get medical help for someone who is unconscious and not
breathing Evans said.
The drug also has no effect on people who are not overdosing on drugs, Evans said.
He cautioned officers not to give the medicine to a heroin addict who is conscious and
talking because it will put them into immediate withdrawal.
Lorain police have created a training video, a reporting form and a template for policy
for other departments to use.
Evans will oversee training, which can take as little as 15 to 30 minutes.
At Friday’s meeting, Lorain Detective Michael Gidich showed a sample kit that police
will carry.
Gidich demonstrated how officers with training can put together the syringe, dose of
medicine and nasal injection atomizer, which turns the liquid into a mist absorbed
through the nose.
It took him less than 60 seconds to put it together.
“Time is of the essence,” Evans said. “Minutes make a difference.”
Local officials also cited the Quincy (Mass.) Police Department where officers have
saved 170 people in recent years using Narcan, Rivera said.
Lorain Police Department will focus on saving lives and it is not a priority to press
charges against drug addicts who are nearly dead, because of an overdose, Rivera said.
“From the law enforcement perspective, actually, most cops tend to think these are
violators,” Rivera said. “But there’s another side to public safety and there’s another side
to law enforcement and that’s that these are human beings. They’re somebody’s child.
They’re somebody’s brother. They’re somebody’s sister. They’re somebody’s daughter.”
However, the department’s Narcotics Bureau will continue investigations of drug
dealers in Lorain, Rivera said.
City residents share numerous tips about drug dealing in the community and Rivera
emphasized police are not letting up on enforcement efforts.
The project is elective for police, but it likely will spread around Lorain County because
law enforcement officials from other communities also attended the meeting.
There will be additional phases to make the kits available to clients in pre-treatment at
the Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services Inc., said Elaine Georgas, executive
director of the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board.
The board is collecting donations to make the kits available for emergency responders,
addiction services clients and others at-risk for overdose, said Christine Robinson,
director of program services for the Drug Addiction board. Donations can be sent to the
board, Project DAWN of Lorain County, 4950 Oberlin Ave., Lorain, Ohio, 44053.
http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20131004/county-police-to-add-narcan-heroinoverdose-medicine-to-arsenal
Ohio's Heroin Epidemic: Inside Lorain County's Naloxone Pilot
Program.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMuvTlU_mJg
Published on Aug 22, 2014
Ohio Senate Bill 57 established a pilot program for first responders to carry the lifesaving drug Naloxone
or Narcan. Naloxone can instantly reverse the effects of a drug overdose. Now, hear from the police
officers on the front lines, public officials involved in the process and a multiple overdose survivor on how
this pilot program is saving lives across our state.
Lorain woman's heroin overdose
reversed in first use of naloxone
by police officer in Ohio: Video
Lorain heroin overdose reversal is first involving copA 21-year-old woman was brought back to life
Tuesday in the first case of a heroin overdose reversal by a police officer.
By Cory Shaffer | Northeast Ohio Media Group
THE HEROIN EPIDEMIC: SPECIAL SERIES

Day 1: Death toll from drug continues to soar in Cuyahoga County

Day 2: Naloxone, the overdose antidote (video)

Day 3: Suburban users migrate from prescription pain pills

Epilogue: Lorain woman's heroin overdose reversed in first use of naloxone by police
officer in Ohio

Toby Cosgrove and Steven M. Dettelbach: Heroin use in Cuyahoga County destroys lives

How to get help
All Stories | All Videos
http://videoembed.cleveland.com/services/player/bcpid1949055968001?bctid=2790211993001&bckey=AQ
~~,AAAAQBxUNqE~,xKBGzTdiYSSRqIKPsPdkNW3W_DNtPBTa
LORAIN, Ohio – If it weren’t for naloxone, a 21-year-old Lorain mother might
have died Tuesday.
“It was the police who saved my life,” she said.
The woman, who spoke to cleveland.com Thursday on condition of anonymity,
overdosed on heroin at her East 29th Street apartment. The story of her
revival will put her and the responding police officers in the state’s history
books.
The woman's heroin addiction began two months ago, she said, when a friend
convinced her to try the dangerously addictive drug.
"The first time I ever used it, I was addicted," she said. "It only took once."
So just before 2 p.m. Tuesday, she felt the urge to get high again, in the
apartment building where she lives with her two-year-old daughter and her
mother in another apartment.
But this time, the high almost turned deadly.
At 1:58 p.m., Patrol Officer Bill Lachner and Probationary Officer Bryant
Halsey responded to a heroin overdose call. When they arrived in the 2300
block of East 29th Street, the woman was lying in the grass outside of the
apartment and her mother told them she was unresponsive and was known to
abuse heroin.
Normally, there would be nothing the officers could do to stop the drug
overdose, until paramedics responded with the intravenous version of Narcan,
the brand name for naloxone hydrochloride.
"Every second, every minute matters," Lachner said. "The more time you can
save in a medical emergency, the better care you're going to be able to provide
the person you are treating."
Under a new pilot program in Lorain County, first responders are prescribed
doses of naloxone with a nasal spray adapter, and the officers went to work.
Lachner took out the dose, assembled the spray adapter and, being the field
training officer he is, handed the tube to Halsey, who’s about three months
into his training in the Lorain Police Department.
Halsey gave the drug to the woman, and within seconds she came to – and
tried to bite them.
"I thought somebody was trying to hurt me," she said. "I was trying to get up
and they wouldn't let me."
The woman's reaction was common, Halsey said.
“When they’re disoriented and they don’t really know what’s going, it’s not
uncommon for them to bite or fight,” Halsey said. “She was combative
originally when she came to, and as we’re used to that, we dealt with it
accordingly.”
The reversal
On Oct. 12, Lorain County stepped into a pilot project – one that took a deadly
epidemic and a specific state law to set into action.
For the first time in Ohio, police and fire first responders in the county were
given prescriptions of the life-saving drug naloxone that stops a heroin
overdose in its tracks and brings the user sputtering back to life.
The program was born as Lorain Police Chief Cel Rivera contemplated ways to
slow heroin’s tightening death grip on Northeast Ohio. Lorain County saw 61
overdose deaths in 2012, up from 22 in 2011. In 2013, the county is on track to
hit 75 deaths, Lorain County Coroner Stephen Evans said at an Oct. 4 press
conference.
Rivera pointed out a program in Quincy, Mass., where first responders were
armed with naloxone, to Evans, and the two brought a proposal to State Sen.
Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, who introduced legislation to set up a
one-year pilot program in Lorain County. It passed both branches of the Ohio
Statehouse unanimously this summer, was signed by Gov. John Kasich in July
and took effect Oct. 12.
“Within about two weeks, we were able to use it for the first time,” Lachner
said.
The woman was not charged with any crimes, Lachner said. Actually, in his 21
years of service, he said he has never charged anyone from a drug overdose.
"We're not there to arrest somebody," he said. "The goal is to help them, help
their families, save their lives and get them moving in the right direction."
The woman said she plans to follow that track, hoping to turn her overdose
reversal into a rebirth. She said she joined a Suboxone clinic and is scheduled
to go for her first day Friday to help her get clean.
"I joined the clinic for my daughter," she said. "She was there, and she saw it
all. She's the only person I have, and I love her."
She said she hopes her story is a warning for anyone who is addicted to heroin
or thinking about trying it.
"There are clinics that will help you wean yourself off," she said. "It's not worth
it. There is no way out other than death."
While the entire state is watching what’s happening in Lorain County, nobody
is watching closer than in neighboring Cuyahoga County, where 161 people
died from heroin overdoses in 2012, and officials expect the number to near
200 this year.
“The fight against heroin is not just about arrests,” U.S. Attorney for the
Northern District of Ohio Steve Dettelbach said. “It is about prevention and
also about arming courageous first responders like these with all the tools they
need save lives.”
When asked how he felt about being the first police officer in Ohio history to
administer naloxone and save someone from a heroin overdose, Halsey smiled
and shrugged.
“It’s just part of the job,” he said. “It's good to go from the training and see it
in use and see it is effective. It's nice."
Halsey said knowing the drug worked the way it was supposed to eliminated
the feeling of helplessness a lot of officers have when they used to be the first
on the scene of an overdose.
“It was nice to be able to do something other than take their pulse and say
‘don’t worry, the paramedics will be here in a minute,’” Lachner said.
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/10/lorain_womans_heroin_overdos
e.html
Narcan revives Lorain overdose victim
Filed on October 30, 2013 by Anna Merriman
Chronicle Telegram
LORAIN — After a year of work and months of waiting, police used Narcan to revive a county woman
suffering from a heroin overdose for the first time on Tuesday.
Narcan — the formal name of which is naloxone — is a drug used to reverse the effects of heroin
overdoses, bringing a person back to consciousness. For years, police in Lorain County could not legally
use the drug on overdose victims.
However, because of legislation passed June 26, all police in Lorain County were equipped with a Narcan
kit on Oct. 12 and allowed to use the drug in cases of overdose where police were the first responders.
On Tuesday afternoon, the kit may have helped them save a young woman’s life.
Lorain police Officer Bill Lachner received a call around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday of a 21-year-old woman
unconscious due to a possible overdose on the 2300 block of East 29th Street.
Lachner said that the woman’s mother was performing CPR on her daughter on the balcony of their
apartment.
Lachner and Officer Bryant Halsey arrived at the house, prepared with the Narcan kit and found the
woman unconscious on the balcony with marks across her arms, evidence of heroin use, Lachner said.
Since the two officers were the first responders at the scene, they had to administer the Narcan nasal
spray immediately.
Lachner said the woman regained consciousness quickly and began waving her arms in confusion.
“She became combative,” he said.
LifeCare paramedics arrived seconds after Halsey and Lachner administered the Narcan dose and
transported the 21-year-old to Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain.
Despite this being the first time police officers have used Narcan in Lorain County, Lachner said he
wasn’t nervous about it.
“It’s a simple thing to use. … They’ve kind of dummy-proofed it,” he said.
Lorain police Officer Mike Giddich, who has been a big proponent of Narcan use by law enforcement,
said that there are no charges pending for the 21-year-old overdose victim.
“The main goal (of Narcan) is to save lives,” Giddich said.
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2013/10/30/narcan-revives-lorain-overdose-victim/
Heroin overdoses spike in Lorain
County
Sara E Shookman, WKYC8:52 a.m. EST November 11, 2013
(Photo: Christian Martinez Kempin Getty Images)
LORAIN, Ohio -- The Lorain County Sheriff's Department and area police departments in
Lorain County are looking at a spike in heroin overdoses.
On Sunday, the Lorain Police Department tells Channel 3 the county has seen 17 cases
involving heroin overdoses. Three were fatal.
"I don't think there's any good drugs, but there's definitely a bad drug out there on the
street right now," said Lorain County Coroner Stephen Evans. "People need to be
careful. People need to stay away from it."
Police believe a bad batch of heroin is being distributed by street-level drug dealers. Drug
users have told police they have never seen anything like it.
"When you're using drugs from the street, how do you know what you're getting? I mean
you're often melting up something in a spoon and you have no idea what was really in
that. In this case, it's been very dangerous and it's been lethal," said Evans.
Evans is testing the substance recovered from scenes to determine if it could possibly be
laced with fentanyl, a particularly deadly narcotic.
While results could take days, officers are on the streets tracking the substance to its
dealer source and trying to warn drug users and those who love them.
"We have just about every police officer we have out on the street right now trying to shut
this down," he said.
A spokesperson with the police department says a number of lives have already been
saved by the drug Narcan or naloxone. The Lorain Police Department has been using it
to reverse the effects of the heroin and bring a person back to consciousness.
LPD is running a pilot program for the state that officers used to save at least three lives
this weekend.
"These are people that when the police got there, the families were doing CPR on them.
The police sprayed them with the Narcan and saved their lives," said Evans.
Evans says with Narcan, minutes make a difference which is why it's vital that police
officers, often the fastest response available, have the drug with them.
"It's been a tragedy, seeing all these young people dying so anything we can do to save
a life," he said.
Lorain Police Lt. Roger Watkins says they have no idea how big this tainted batch could
be, but they're trying to roundup whatever is left unused.
Lorain police first in state to use lifesaving drug for overdose
Lorain County is part of a pilot program to put the opiate antidote in the hands of police officers -- who are often on the
scene before ambulances.
WKYC Staff, WKYC7:34 p.m. EDT October 30, 2013
(Photo: WKYC-TV)
LORAIN -- A new Lorain police officer was the first in Ohio to use the Narcan nasal spray
to save a woman's life after an apparent drug overdose Tuesday.
Lorain County is part of a pilot program to put the opiate antidote in the hands of police
officers -- who are often on the scene before ambulances.
This incident happened in the 2300 block of East 29th Street Tuesday.
Bryant Halsey has been a police officer since 2007 but just joined the Lorain Police
Department in July.
"She was unresponsive, per department policy, we issued the Narcan," he said.
He said that the woman's mother had summoned first responders after she believed her
daughter overdosed on heroin.
Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans has championed putting Narcan into the
hands of police officers for more than a year.
"I'm excited, this is our first save, I think we're going to get many saves," he said
Tuesday.
Evans said he hopes the idea spreads beyond Lorain County and even Ohio.
"This isn't a Lorain County problem," he said. "It's happening all over Ohio and all over
the United States."
Halsey said the woman "kind of came back" and was able to walk to an ambulance but
was taken to a hospital to be checked out.
Narcan is considered a remarkable solution to a nationwide epidemic.
In Ohio, drug overdoses have increased by nearly 400 percent over the past decade.
And in Lorain County, last year alone, 60 of those were fatal. Heroin has become the
drug of choice.
Each law enforcement officer is now carrying two so-called "Narcan" kits following
training that takes no more than 30 minutes.
Preventing death by drug overdose is what it's all about. And if the pilot program works in
Lorain County, it could soon be adopted statewide.
After police treated the woman with Narcan, LifeCare paramedics assisted in treating her.
OHIO: DRUG OVERDOSES - NALOXONE (NARCAN) PILOT PROJECT IN LORAIN COUNTY STARTING NOV. 1,
2013 – PROPOSED STATEWIDE LAW On July 12, 2013, Governor Kasich signed into law Senate Bill 57,
that authorizes Lorain County to have a one-year project, starting Nov. 1, 2013. Emergency responders,
including paramedics, EMT-Basics and firefighters, after receiving training and letter from the County
Coroner, will be authorized to administer Narcan for overdose patients.
http://www.lsc.state.oh.us/analyses130/13-sb57-130.pdf “The pilot project was approved unanimously
in the Ohio House and Senate. If it is effective, there is a good chance a similar Narcan program could be
used across Ohio, [Ohio State Senator Gayle Manning said.” http://www.morningjournal.com/generalnews/20130711/gov-kasich-signs-narcan-billfor-county-pilot-project Senate Bill 57 provides in part: “(B)
There is hereby established a pilot project in Lorain County pursuant to which qualified emergency
responders who serve in that County may obtain and administer naloxone in accordance with divisions
(C) and (D) of this section to a person suffering from an apparent opioid-related overdose in order to
revive the person. The pilot program established under this division shall last for a period of one year.”
*** (10) "Qualified emergency responder" means any emergency responder who has received a letter
under division (G) of this section indicating satisfactory completion of the training described in that
division. *** (G)(1) The Lorain County Coroner shall provide, or shall designate one or more licensed
health professionals or registered nurses to provide, training to emergency responders in recognizing
and responding to an opioid overdose. The response training shall include, but shall not be limited to,
training in the administration of naloxone to a person suffering from an apparent opioid-related
overdose in order to revive the person. The Lorain County Coroner shall provide to each emergency
responder who satisfactorily completes the training a letter indicating satisfactory completion of the
training.” http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=130_SB_57On September 26, 2013, it was
reported that a state-wide
http://ceas.uc.edu/content/dam/aero/docs/fire/Bennett/OH%20narcan.pdf
CHIEF RIVERA TESTIFIES TO
SUCCESS OF MANNINGAUTHORED NARCAN PILOT
PROGRAM
AUGUST 16, 2014
The Morning Journal recently reported on Lorain Police Chief Celestino Rivera’s invitation to
Washington, D.C., for a symposium. The topic: the efficacy of a pilot program authored by
Senator Gayle Manning allowing Lorain County first responders to use Narcan to treat
people overdosing on heroin and other opioids.
“Chief Rivera and others came to me asking for the pilot program and I was happy to help,”
Manning said. “So far, I’ve been very encouraged by the results. Narcan is giving people
another opportunity at life, a chance to turn things around.”
Here’s an excerpt of the Morning Journal article:
Naloxone [the generic form of Narcan] is a medicine that can counter the effects of heroin,
prescription painkillers and other opioid drugs.
On July 31, an expert panel of law enforcement organizations, health officials, federal
stakeholders and national policy holders convened — at the request of U.S. Attorney
General Eric Holder Jr. — inside the Department of Justice to address an epidemic that has
grown to unprecedented levels: opioid addiction.
In a recent release, the justice department noted 110 Americans on average die daily from
drug overdoses, outnumbering even deaths from gunshot wounds or motor vehicle crashes.
Between 2006 and 2010, heroin overdose deaths dramatically increased by 45 percent.
[…]
To combat overdoses and prevent accidental deaths, many county agencies are carrying
naloxone.
Evans says he has seen the positive impact that Narcan, a trade name for the naloxone,
has had since its use by first responders to treat heroin overdoes. It was first introduced
as Senate Bill 57 by state Sen. Gayle Manning, a North Ridgeville Republican, and signed
into law last year by Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
[…]
To date, county law enforcement agencies have saved 42 lives by administering naloxone,
he said.
“When we started this, I was at the point where if I could save one person, it would be worth
all the time and effort that we’ve spent putting this together,” Evans said. “The fact that we
have saved 42 people is testament to the program’s effectiveness.”
[…]
Rivera said he went to the nation’s capital to discuss with those in attendance why his
department decided to issue its officers Narcan, what legal barriers within the department
they faced and the success of the program.
[…]
Making Narcan readily available to his officers — and first responders countywide — began
in 2011 when the county recorded 22 overdoses, the chief said. By 2012, that number
skyrocketed 177 percent to 61, prompting him to take action.
[…]
It’s been a year since SB 57 was signed into law and the Lorain Police Department will
record its first year of administering Narcan in October.
Since then, the program has received state notarization and captured Holder’s attention.
http://www.gaylemanning.com/2014/08/chief-rivera-testifies-success-manning-authored-narcan-pilotprogram/
Pilot program: Lorain County Police armed
with Narcan fighting heroin ODs
October 31, 20136:47 PM MST
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_L04ATgC51zU/TUaePKZesBI/AAAAAAAAAEA/G-WXXSm5Do/s400/heroin_overdose2.png
As was reported inCleveland.com, a Lorain County Pilot Program, mirroring a similar program
in Quincy, Massachusetts, demonstrated the potential life-saving impact that providing police
and fire fighter first responders with the narcotic-reversing drug naloxone may have. The first
use of naloxone by a law enforcement officer in Ohio on Tuesday helped save a life. As an
Advanced EMT, this columnist can attest to the ease of use with naloxone hydrochloride
or Narcan (R). For use in suspected opiate overdose, Narcan operates as a complete, or partial,
prevention or reversal of opioid depression. Essentially, when a patient presents as a suspected
overdose, Narcan is used as a first line treatment. Because the narcotic antagonist only works on
opioids, if a patient has not ingested a narcotic, it will not have any affect. The only
contraindication of Narcan is if a patient is allergic to naloxone hydrochloride.
Why was this Pilot Program instituted? Simple. Because of the increasing number of deaths
associated with narcotic overdose - specifically heroin. So what is heroin? Heroin is made from
morphine which naturally occurs in "poppy" (opium) plants. A highly addictive drug, an
overdose of heroin may lead to death largely because heroin works on the central nervous system
slowing down both one's heartbeat and their respiration (breathing). Although the purity of a
drug plays a role in terms of overdose (and often times, heroin is mixed with other drugs, e.g.
"adulterated") a lethal dose of heroin may range from 200 to 500mg. Cases of hardened addicts
surviving doses of 1800mg and over have been documented. Due to the fact that heroin is
usually injected into a vein, other health concerns are associated with needle use, such as HIVinfection and hepatitis.
In Ohio, heroin deaths due to overdose have been on the rise, increasing 25% in the 2008-2009
time frame and having one reporter quoting state health officials as saying that heroin is "falling
out of the sky" (2012). The Newsroom stated that "The report, released by the Ohio Department
of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, said availability of heroin in Cleveland is considered to
be at epidemic levels. The survey found an increase in heroin abuse across the state during the
previous six months." Sadly, Ohio is not alone - according to the 2011 U.S. Department of
Justice's report entitled 2011 Drug Threat Assessment, 30 states have seen increases in heroin
overdose. It is speculated that the increase in heroin use came about because of a reformulation
of Oxy-Contin that makes abuse of the substance more difficult. Additionally, heroin is a
relatively inexpensive drug which also adds to its popularity.
No doubt that cities like Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati are going to follow this pilot
program carefully. By providing law enforcement and first responders with the ability to reverse
a narcotic overdose, lives can be saved. Because police are usually the "first on scene", having to
wait for an advanced life support unit to administer Narcan (especially when there is only one
counterindication - and that counterindication would likely not be known by responding
Advanced units likely as well) means delayed care. Easy to administer and quickly effective (if it
works, then the patient had overdosed on a narcotic; if it doesn't work, the patient likely
overdosed on something other than an opioid), the first to respond will be empowered by no
longer feeling helpless waiting for advanced medical care to arrive.
For additional information on overdose and poisons, the nationwide Poison Control Phone
Number is 1-800-222-1222.
http://www.examiner.com/article/pilot-program-lorain-county-police-with-narcan-fighting-heroin-ods
Heroin overdose epidemic in Lorain County
Posted: Nov 10, 2013 8:42 PM ESTUpdated: Nov 10, 2013 8:42 PM EST
LORAIN COUNTY, OH (WOIO) Police in Lorain County are in a race against time to find an extraordinarily
dangerous batch of heroin responsible for a record number of overdoses.
"We've had 16 in the last 24 hours."
County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans sees the heroin spike this weekend, which
included three deaths, as epidemic.
"There's a bad drug out there that is killing people."
The heroin resurgence seems to plague suburbia. Young adults become hooked
on prescribed medicine but once the prescription runs out they are addicted and
turn to heroin.
"When somebody is addicted, they do whatever they can to get the drug. At
least three people were saved. I am told that they were brought back from the
brink of death by Lorain Police specially trained to deal with overdoses by
carrying the antidote drug- Narcan. Police carry Narcan because police are often
the first on the scene."
Seems the extraordinarily dangerous batch of heroin circulating through Lorain
County could be cut with another drug or it could be almost completely pure.
"Something is wrong with the drug. We're having it tested because we have
samples from someone who died."
Lorain Police are warning heroin users and their friends and family to be aware of
this bad drug circulating.
Copyright 2013 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Read more: http://www.cbs46.com/story/23930042/heroin-overdose-epidemic-in-lorain-county#ixzz3QJTOfQMO
Narcan approved for use on
overdose victims
Police and deputies in Erie County could soon be reviving overdose victims
TOM JACKSON
SANDUSKY
MAR 18, 2014
A program that has saved the lives of heroin overdose victims in Lorain County will soon be coming to Erie
County.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich has signed a new law that allows law enforcement officers to administer emergency
doses of Narcan when a heroin user is unresponsive after an apparent overdose.
“Anything we can do as first responders to save people’s lives, I’m in favor of,” Perkins police Chief Ken
Klamar said. “That’s what we’re here to do. At the end of the day, we want to help people”
The law extending the use of Narcan, also known as Naloxone, comes in the wake of a successful pilot
program in Lorain County that’s been credited with saving a number of lives. The drug is usually administered
as a nasal mist into a person’s nostrils. Police and deputies in Lorain County have used it to revive drug
overdose victims who were apparently near death.
Klamar said he’ll be issuing Narcan to his patrol officers as soon as they can be trained to use it.
“I’ve seen it work here in the township when our paramedics arrive on scene and have been able to administer
it” Klamar said.
There are cases when a police officer who happens to be nearby will be the first person to arrive in an
emergency, Klamar said.
“The officer may be two or three homes away. We can sometimes beat them by four or five minutes” Klamar
said. “That can make a huge difference when somebody’s not breathing”
Sandusky police Chief John Orzech said his officers have been dealing with heroin situations, and he wants to
save lives, but he needs to research the matter before making an announcement.
“I’ve asked the law director and the fire chief to give me their thoughts and their comments on it,” Orzech said.
Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth and health commissioner Pete Schade learned last year that the law was in
the works and took the lead in making Narcan available here.
Sigsworth decided to issue Narcan to his deputies as soon as it became available, and he told other law
enforcement agencies in the county about it. Schade agreed to provide the necessary training for the police
officers and deputies.
Sigsworth said he’s determined to get Narcan into the hands of his deputies soon.
“We want to get that done as soon as possible” he said.
Schade said the health department has agreed to purchase the first batch of Narcan.
“We’re already talking with a couple of different pharmacies we deal with, trying to get it in here by the end of
this week” he said.
He said the health department has agreed to buy the first batch. The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Erie
and Ottawa Counties has agreed to cover half the cost, and grants may become available, Schade said.
“Initially, I’m willing to put a couple of grand on the table and get it here” Schade said.
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/news/5442606
Narcan Saves Lives in Ohio
Written by McBride, JT
The local police in northeast Ohio are saving lives. When the regional heroin-related death toll
began to reach epidemic proportions in late 2012 and early 2013, Lorain, Ohio Police Chief Cel
Rivera and the County Coroner, Dr. Stephen Evans, began working together with other officials
to field test the use of Narcan.
This new tool means that ‘street cops’ who come upon unconscious overdose victims with
growing frequency, are now armed with Narcan kits containing nasal-spray injection devices that
can be used to administer doses of Naloxone. Naloxone has been historically used by physicians
to counter the effects of opioid overdoses by rapidly countering the life-ending effects of
excessive heroin ingestion.
This change in policy regarding the way Lorain police handles overdose (OD) calls for service
was prompted by several factors recently cited by Chief Rivera in a special presentation to the
Lake County Association of Chiefs of Police. The primary motivation stemmed from the rapidly
rising number of deaths associated with opioid over doses in Lorain County, which numbered
over 60 in 2012.
In comparison, there were 21 OD-type deaths in 2010. The second motivating factor stemmed
from the frustration of local police officers who often got to the scene while the victim was still
alive and had to watch victims die while rescue personnel were on the way to the scene.
CPR and other “first aid” techniques simply weren’t effective in such cases, and family members
sometimes watched their loved ones pass away while police “stood by and did nothing.” In short,
something needed to be done and done quickly to stop the deaths of so many local human beings.
As it turned out, Narcan has been used by medical staffers and medics for years to counteract the
effects of heroin and other opioid drugs. While it can’t bring the dead back to life, as a local
newspaper noted, it can delay death long enough to get the victim more effective medical
assistance. Fortunately, Naloxone has no effect on persons who are not suffering the effects of an
OD episode.
The design of the kit involved makes it relatively easy to use in the field. When opioid OD is
suspected, officers simply have to open the kit (which contains two doses of the medicine),
assemble a two-part syringe (which includes a nose-cap instead of a needle), insert the atomizer
into a nostril and activate the spray. The device transforms the liquid into a mist, which is rapidly
absorbed by blood vessels in the nasal linings. Lorain police can assemble the kit and administer
the drug in about 60 seconds.
It is a stable drug that lends itself to storage inside police vehicles in all types of weather, and
some local hospitals are willing to acquire the kits at cost to save participating police agencies
some money. Medical officials warn that seconds can make the critical difference in such cases,
so officers are trained to act quickly. Initiated as an experiment limited strictly to the local area,
Lorain’s Narcan program has now been approved for state-wide use by the Ohio General
Assembly.
Detective Michael Gidich, Narcan project coordinator for the Lorain Police, stated that the focus
of the Narcan program is saving lives and not arresting violators. While drug enforcement is a
high priority of the LPD, life safety of officers and citizens is a higher concern. He noted that
Quincy (Mass.) police had saved nearly 170 lives since 2010 using Narcan, and that Quincy was
the agency that originated the Narcan field-kit concept now utilized by the LPD.
Rivera and Gidich proudly reported that since its implementation in October of 2013, Lorain’s
officers had already saved 33 lives in the last 13 months. One Lorain officers was dubbed an
“Ace” by his peers after saving his fifth victim. Thanks to Rivera’s Project Dawn (Deaths
Avoided with Naloxone), Lorain’s police officers no longer have to watch people die.
Lorain Police personnel have developed a written Narcan policy statement, Narcan training
curriculum and a “how-to” video, which they shared with other Ohio law enforcement agencies.
They also displayed a quick reference guide that has proven invaluable to officers in the field.
Ohio’s police training academy now offers an online training video on Narcan protocols to
officers. Ohio law limits liability is cases of Narcan administration when given in good faith, and
the side effects of the drug are minimal, lowering the liability exposure of agencies adopting its
use.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently held a workshop on the issue in Washington, D.C.
(which Rivera attended) and will soon issue a national “white paper” on the topic because of the
growing interest in the success of the Quincy-Lorain Narcan projects. The Ohio Department of
Health is now offering Narcan training to family members of addicted citizens, and Narcan is
also featured in crisis intervention certification classes offered by NAMI and regional health
boards.
Rivera cited low cost of the program along with the significant support for Project Dawn
received from Dr. Evans, State Senator Gayle Manning, and the Ohio General Assembly; Mercy
regional Medical Center and its Chief Pharmacist Eric Remster; EMH Elyria Medical Center;
Lorain and Elyria public health officials; city and county officials; Lorain FOP Lodge #3; and
the local news media.
Gidich said that the project was an example of community-based crime prevention at its best and
has engendered a great deal of citizen support for the department. “For once,” he said, “we have
people stopping by the station and saying “thank you.” More importantly, some of the addicts
saved by the Project Dawn have reportedly “gone clean” since their near-death experiences. For
more information contact Detective Gidich at: [email protected].
Chief J.T. McBride, M.P.A. and C.L.E.E. (Ret), currently serves as a Lake County Special
Deputy, Lakeland Community College community policing instructor, and free-lance writer. He
also serves on the county’s Mental Health Alliance with Law Enforcement (CALMHS) advisory
board, and can be reached at [email protected].
Published in Law and Order, Dec 2014
http://www.hendonpub.com/law_and_order/articles/2014/12/narcan_saves_lives_in_ohio
Overdosing on heroin: This drug can bring them back
February 05, 2014|By Matt Pearce

o
Email Share
"My agency borders the state of Indiana. Dearborn County, Indiana, does not have Paramedics or
Intermediates who can administer Narcan," one respondent wrote. "People drive to Ohio because they know
we have Narcan and can give it to them. This has been told to us many times by patients from Indiana.”
Another EMT wrote: “The numbers are climbing on the amount of overdoses that are from more rural areas
coming into our area. We have been told by some of the patients they come to take drugs in our area because ...
they can get Narcan quicker because we are on station.”
Lorain County, Ohio, which saw its opioid overdose deaths triple to 60 from 2011 to 2012, has been playing
host to a pilot study started in 2013 that would allow police to carry the drug.
When three people died and more than 20 were hospitalized with overdoses over one weekend from a bad
batch of heroin, local officials credited Narcan with saving lives. Similar bad batches have killed dozens of
users across Pennsylvania and Maryland recently.
In New York, a pilot study that put Narcan in the hands of Long Island police officers was quickly expanded
after the Suffolk County Police Department claimed overwhelming success with its program in 2012 and 2013.
Dr. Scott Coyne, the department's chief surgeon medical director, has been running the Narcan program for 18
months. In that time, he said, the department has saved 172 overdose victims.
“Our officers are typically first on the scene of all medical emergencies and opiate overdoses, and it’s those
first minutes that can make the difference between life and death," Coyne told The Times in a phone interview.
"Administering Narcan at that point to an opiate overdose victim has resulted in a dramatic number of opiate
reversals and life-saves."
The saves are also helping put a dent in the county's fatal overdose numbers, Coyne said.
Opioid overdoses are thought to cost more than $20 billion in losses to the U.S. economy from treatment costs
and loss of earnings. Some research has suggested Narcan would cut back the cost of overdose hospital
visits and emergency calls.
Not to mention save lives.
“It would make sense for law enforcement [and paramedics] in any location that has appreciable rates of
prescription opioid misuse or heroin misuse to be trained or have this available," said Compton of the National
Institute on Drug Abuse. "It can save a life quite easily, and unless you move quickly, it can take a lot of time
to get somebody to the hospital.”
http://articles.latimes.com/2014/feb/05/nation/la-na-nn-heroin-overdose-drug-20140205/2
Pitt County Sheriff’s Office First in
State Narcan Initiative
All first responders to carry life-saving opioid overdose treatment
Narcan
04/30/2014
The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office will be holding a press conference on May 1 at 10 a.m. at
Bell Arthur EMS, 4666 Stantonsburg Road in Greenville to announce a new lifesaving
program: the Narcan Initiative.
This initiative involves the deployment of Naxolone (Narcan) to all first responders within the
agency. The purpose is to reduce deaths associated with opioid overdose through
administration of nasal narcan.
The continuing rise in prescription abuse and subsequent rise in heroin use has resulted in
an increase in opioid overdoses. As people become hooked on prescription pills and can no
longer access them, many resort to more accessible drugs, particularly heroin. Opioid
prescription pill abuse is on the rise and can include Codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone,
OxyContin, Percocet.
Deputies are typically the first responders to medical calls as they secure the scene for
emergency responders. With this initiative, all sworn personnel will carry nasal Narcan in
their vehicle. Narcan is an opioid receptor blocker which when administered quickly will
result in temporarily reversing the overdose. It has been widely used by medical
emergency responders across the nation with great success and is starting to be deployed
by law enforcement personnel who arrive to the scene first. The immediate effect of
reversing the effects of the opioid will allow time for more advanced medical treatment. Our
program is modeled after the Lorain, Ohio and the Quincy, Massachusetts Narcan Pilot
program.
• This program has the support of local EMS, the NC Medical Board and the NC Child
Fatality Task Force.
• North Carolina enacted comprehensive overdose legislation that protects bystanders who
call for emergency help during an overdose, provides immunity from criminal or civil liability
for the individual administering Narcan, and expands Narcan access to the layperson.
Senate Bill 20, April 2013
• Narcan is only effective on those in an opioid overdose; it does not harm those
experiencing a different type of overdose.
• Since 1999, the number of unintentional poisoning deaths in our State has increased
nearly 300% from 297 to 1,104 in 2012. The vast majority of these are drug or medicationrelated, occurring when people misuse or abuse these drugs.
• Prescription opioid pain medications are responsible for more deaths than heroin and
cocaine combined.
Partners: Pitt County EMS, ECU Department of EMS, Community Care Plan of Eastern
Carolina, North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition
Speakers: Sheriff Neil Elks, Melissia Larson (PCSO), Dr. Ferguson (ECU, Dept. of EMS),
Chris Smith (Community Care Plan of Eastern Carolina), and Amanda Muller (NC Harm
Reduction Coalition)
White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Statement of Support
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/11/usa-drugs-heroin-idUSL2N0LG0KK20140211
http://greenvilleheadlines.com/news/pitt-county-sheriffs-office-first-state-narcan-initiative/



Ocean County police train with new tool to help
overdose victims
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Michael Ein
Lacey Township Patrolman Dan Ricciardella, left, tries a Narcan applicator as Berkeley Township. Patroldman Pat Stesner and Lacey
Township. Lt. Chris Kenny, right, watch during a training session on its use. Naloxone (Narcan) is used to counteract opioid drug overdoses.
Police in Ocean County are being trained to administer a life-saving heroin antidote. Should
that be part of an officer's job?
Yes. Protect and serve.44%
No. It's a job for a medical professional.45%
Just say no to drugs.11%
Vote
Posted: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:50 pm
By DONNA WEAVER Staff Writer
OCEAN TOWNSHIP — Police departments in Ocean County now are among
just a handful of law enforcement agencies in the United States able to
administer the heroin antidote Naloxone.
Officers from 15 of the county’s 33 law enforcement agencies received hands-on
training Wednesday morning on how to administer the nasal-spray drug, also
known as Narcan, during an exercise at the Ocean County Fire and EMS
Training Center. Representatives from other departments will be trained Friday.
“We want to do the right thing here. You’re my ambassadors and you’re going to
go back to your police departments and tell them what happened here,” Ocean
County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato told the roomful of police officers.
Stafford Township K-9 Officer Robert Conforti will return to his department and,
with the help of Officers Russell Griffin and Allen Jillson, train the rest of the force
to administer Narcan.
Conforti took his place at a table in the classroom Wednesday morning and
carefully handled the Narcan syringe as he went through the steps to administer
the drug.
Conforti gave a short push on the end of the syringe and sprayed the Naloxone
into the air.
“This is definitely going to help with the number of overdoses we’re
experiencing,” he said.
“Whether it’s regular Joe Citizen or an addict, we have to try to save a life,” he
said.
Late last year, Coronato urged county police departments to implement the
carrying of the heroin antidote to assist in controlling the increasing number of
heroin overdose deaths. The county saw 112 overdose deaths last year, up from
53 in 2012. To date, there have been 13 fatal drug overdoses, with 10 heroinrelated, in 2014, said Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Al Della Fave.
Coronato said the Prosecutor’s Office would pay for the first round of the
Naloxone inhalant for county police departments from drug forfeiture money.
Officers will be equipped with Nasal Narcan Kits for their police cars at $25 per
dose. Officers will begin carrying the antidote once training is complete and they
are certified. Departments also will implement a procedure policy for using the
drug, Coronato said.
EMTs and police officers who also are EMTs will not be permitted to administer
Narcan until waivers are issued, which are expected soon, Coronato said.
“In the event of an overdose, in this day and age there are going to be four
iPhone cameras recording you and we just cannot do anything, we have to act,”
said Dr. Ken Lavelle, of Emergency Training and Consulting and an emergency
room physician at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, who led the training
Wednesday morning.
Step by step, Lavelle walked the officers through the process of responding to a
drug overdose and administering Narcan. When preparing to use the drug,
officers should perform a patient assessment, determine unresponsiveness,
absence of breathing and/or pulse, Lavelle said.
If you can’t feel a pulse, don’t use Narcan on a patient. And if the airway is
blocked with blood, vomit or other fluids, it must be cleared, Lavelle told the
officers.
Sometimes an overdose victim who experiences a reversal after receiving
Narcan can come out of the high angry, violent or vomiting, Lavelle said.
Narcan does not reverse brain and heart damage from a drug overdose, Lavelle
added.
The doctor reminded the group that an overdose victim cannot get into a drug
rehab facility if they’re dead. He likened it to writing a prescription for every officer
in the room.
“There are officers and people who will say, ‘Why are we doing this?’ But we
have seen that law enforcement officers are showing up on scenes first and
responding first,” said Lavelle, who serves as a medical director for five EMS
agencies in Ocean County.
Lavelle said Narcan already is in use in three locations, including Lorain County,
Ohio, where their first overdose reversal with the drug took place on Oct. 31,
2013. In Quincy, Mass., there have been 188 successful overdose reversals
since 2010, he said, and in Suffolk County, N.Y., 108 there have been reversals
over the past year.
Coronato pointed to New Jersey’s Opioid Antidote and Overdose Protection Act
signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie in May that provides for broad immunity to
the prescriber and the “patient.”
“There is nothing in the law that specifically states police can give the drug, but
nothing that says they can’t do it at all,” Lavelle said.
The law provides civil, criminal and professional immunity for health care
professionals involved in prescribing, dispensing or administering Naloxone or
any similarly acting, FDA-approved drug for the treatment of an opioid overdose,
according to an advisory from the Administrative Office of the Courts Office of
Professional and Governmental Services.
Barnegat Township police Sgt. Jason Carroll attended the training Wednesday
and returned to his department eager to begin the training, said Lt. Keith
Germain.
Germain said the response to carrying Narcan has been positive and he credits
that to having a younger department that is more progressive-minded.
The majority of the officers in the department have responded to drug overdoses
multiple times, and sometimes for the same victim.
“There’s nothing worse than being a cop, standing in a room and having
everyone looking at you and not being able to fix the problem. And this can allow
us to fix the problem,” Germain said.
Little Egg Harbor Township police Chief Richard Buzby said patrolmen Joel Mahr
and Edward McNally will attend the second Narcan training session Friday.
Buzby said within the department there has been some residual concern and
resistance to officers carrying Narcan.
“This was why I wanted Joel to have the experience of being there because he is
the union president. The best way to resolve an issue is to face it. I think what is
lacking in the law-enforcement community is communication. Joel is willing to
keep an open mind and he will have exposure to Dr. Lavelle, who is the real
deal,” Buzby said.
When administering Narcan there is a risk that officers and medical personnel
have to face from a very practical standpoint, Lavelle said. The effects of heroin
can last between four and six hours. It is possible for an overdose victim to be
helped by Narcan, with effects that last from 30 to 90 minutes, and then return to
an unconscious state once the antidote wears off, Lavelle said.
“But if you don’t do anything and you stand and watch, the risk is going to be
greater,” he said.
Contact Donna Weaver:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/crime/police/ocean-county-police-emt-s-train-with-newtool-to/article_18afc9d8-9f5c-11e3-8afc-001a4bcf887a.html
Multi-State Training Conference
Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio
Rising Sun, Indiana
Rising Star Casino Resort
777 Rising Star Drive
Rising Sun, IN 47040
Thursday, May 15, 2014
8:00 am Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 am - 5 pm General Session
Luncheon provided in the Riverview Buffet
Friday, May 16, 2014
7:30 am Continental Breakfast
8:30 am - Noon General Session
Conference Agenda
0800-0900
Registration and Continental Breakfast
0900-0930
Opening Remarks, Overview of NADDI – John Burke, President
0930-1030
“The Franklin Five” - Detective Tracy Rohlfing, ISP
1030-1045
Break
1045-1145
“The Franklin Five” - Detective Tracy Rohlfing, ISP
1145-1245
Lunch
1245-1345
“The Effects of Opiate Abuse on Infants” – Denise
Strimple
1345-1400
Break
1400-1530
“Prescription Drug Case Study” - Bryan Ballman, FDA
Office of Criminal Investigation
1530-1545
Break
1545-1630
“Suboxone Issues Facing Law Enforcement Community
and Licensure Boards”, Nick Reuter, Reckitt Benckiser
MAY 16, 2014 0800-1200
0800-0915
“Recovering Nurse” – Rigo Garcia
0915-0930
Break
0930-1000
Task Force
“Project Narcan” - Gregg Mehling, Lorain County Drug
1000-1045
“2013-2014 Legislative Update - Kentucky”
Van Ingram, Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy
“2013-2014 Legislative Update – Indiana”
Lt. Jay Frederick, Columbus Indiana Police Department
“2013-2014 Legislative Update – Ohio”
Detective Dennis Luken, Warren County Drug Task Force
1045-1100
Break
1100-1200
“National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx)” – Krista McCormick, Inc.
1200
Closing Remarks
http://www.naddi.org/aws/NADDI/pt/sd/calendar/31182/_PARENT/layout_details/false
Narcan can cut OD deaths in half, Trumbull officer
says
Published: Sun, June 2, 2013 @ 12:09 a.m.
Narcan can cut OD deaths in half, Trumbull officer says
By Ed Runyan
[email protected]
WARREN
At 7:08 p.m. May 7, Warren police were called to Packard Park, directly
behind W. D. Packard Music Hall for a 23-year-old Warren woman who
bystanders said appeared to be dead.
The woman who called 911 said a man was on top of her crying.
Warren Sgt. Greg Coleman arrived at 7:11 p.m. and found the woman
unconscious, but she had a pulse. She had fresh “track marks” on her arm
from a drug injection.
Patrolman Nick Carney found the man with her, a 20-year-old from Newton
Falls, to be “acting very erratic” and having trouble standing. He had track
marks on both arms.
“Have the squad step it up,” Coleman said — which usually means
paramedics are needed right away.
A few minutes later, Carney placed the man in the back of the cruiser and
asked for an ambulance for him.
At 7:26 p.m., MedStar ambulance personnel, who had arrived a short time
earlier, administered a drug thought to be nothing short of a miracle by some
people.
Narcan, which has been around for decades and has been used successfully
numerous times in the Warren area to revive individuals from a drug
overdose, was used. It works by counteracting the effects of opiates such as
heroin and OxyContin, which depress the central nervous and respiratory
systems.
Lt. Martin Gargas told the dispatcher moments later that the woman had
regained consciousness and seemed to be doing fine.
“Narcan is wonderful,” Gargas said. The drug is also known by the name
Naloxone.
Police later charged the man, who had a previous drug conviction in 2011,
with misdemeanor possessing drug paraphernalia and possessing drug-abuse
instruments after police found a syringe and two metal spoons with drug
residue on them in their car.
The woman was not charged.
That situation is similar to the April 6, 2012, overdose of Christine Sheesley,
17, of Girard.
Sheesley and Tyler Stevens, then 19, injected heroin in Stevens’ Girard
apartment. The difference is Sheesley, who fell unconscious shortly after
taking the drug at about 9:30 p.m., didn’t get help and was found dead at
about 9 a.m. the next day.
Lt. Jeff Orr, commander of the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement
Task Force, which handles most narcotics investigations in Trumbull County,
said the two scenarios demonstrate how well Narcan can saves lives if
circumstances make it possible for it to be used.
“Why do you think those people didn’t pick up the phone and call for help?”
Orr asked of the handful of people who observed Sheesley unconscious.
“There were drugs there, and they were afraid of going to jail,” he said.
That’s why Orr said he advocates that Ohio adopt a 911 Good Samaritan law
like one enacted in New York state in 2011 that provides limited immunity
from prosecution of anyone who calls 911 to report a drug or alcohol
overdose.
“We’re behind in Ohio,” Orr said.
Orr said equally important is legislation proposed in the Ohio Senate to create
a pilot program in Lorain County that would allow police and firefighters to
administer a nasal spray of Narcan to someone suspected of having
overdosed. Current law allows it to be used only by paramedics.
Republican State Sen. Gayle Manning of North Ridgeville introduced the
legislation at the urging of Lorain Police Chief Cel Rivera, according to a
newspaper report.
Orr said he thinks the number of overdose deaths would be cut in half if police
officers were permitted to have the drug in their police cruisers, and local
police chiefs supported it.
“As long as we’re not open to lawsuits, I don’t think too many [officers] would
have a problem with it,” Orr said.
Capt. Eric Merkel, who’s set to become Warren police chief early this month,
said the Legislature would have to provide a way to “release police of all
liability” and provide training dollars for officers. He said it sounds like a type
of training that would require annual updates.
A separate piece of legislation, sponsored by Rep. Michael Stinziano, DColumbus, would create a statewide program similar to a pilot program in
place in Scioto County. It would allow ordinary Ohioans to carry Narcan,
according to the Columbus Dispatch.
The Scioto County program began with a $40,000 grant to provide Narcan
kits, which cost about $44 each and include two doses of Narcan, a training
DVD, a reference guide and a mask for rescue breathing. The kits are for
addicts and those who care about them.
Columbus medics typically use the drug on five patients a day, fire division
officials said. Not all of those uses are for opiate-overdoses, but it’s part of the
protocol when encountering a person who’s unconscious for an unknown
reason, the Dispatch reports.
Cincinnati Democratic state Sen. Eric Kearney is the primary sponsor of a
more sweeping bill that would create a training standard for administering
Narcan. It would remove the risk of liability for first responders and others who
use it in an attempt to counteract an overdose, according to the News
Messenger newspaper of Fremont.
While Trumbull County’s drug overdose problem is not as bad as some areas
of southern Ohio, Trumbull had the seventh-highest per-capital drug overdose
rate in the state in 2011, the most recent year statewide statistics are
available, with 59 deaths. The number dropped to 36 in 2012, according to Dr.
Humphrey Germaniuk, Trumbull County coroner. Mahoning County was
ranked 19th in 2011, officials said.
Statewide, drug overdose deaths — mostly involving prescription pain killers
and heroin — have risen 440 percent in the past decade, overtaking car
crashes and falls as the leading reason for accidental deaths starting in 2007.
Stinziano said on his web site that medical authorities call Narcan “safe,” with
“no potential for abuse.”
According to the Drug Policy Alliance of New York City, most accidental drug
overdoses are preventable.
“Most accidental drug overdoses occur in the home and in the presence of
others,” the alliance says in an online brochure. “Multiple studies of overdose
experiences demonstrate that death rarely occurs immediately ... and most
deaths occur one to three hours after the overdose.”
Ken Lloyd, president and CEO of Community Solutions Association, one of
the leading addiction counseling agencies in Trumbull County, said he
supports greater use of Narcan.
Lloyd said Narcan works very quickly and effectively in hospital emergency
rooms.
“It’s real fast. They come right up off the table,” he said.
He said he understands there are those who would say addicts deserve what
they get, but he wants every opportunity he can get to help someone recover.
“If I’ve got a life-and-death situation, I think I’m going to save the life. I can do
more with a living addict than a dead one.”
- See more at: http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/jun/02/officials-broadenaccess-to-antidote-for/#sthash.bjZ6wHpM.dpuf
Elyria Police Carrying Heroin
Antidote to Combat Overdose
Epidemic
October 18, 2013 Published by Karen Kitchen

Despite decades of education about the dangers of narcotics like heroin, use
inCleveland, Ohio is continuing to skyrocket, resulting in a death toll of epidemic
proportions. The drug is cheap, easily accessible and deadly.
The number of heroin deaths in 2012 is a four-fold increase over 2007 statistics. This
year it is on track to end more lives in the Cuyahoga County than homicide. In the first
half of 2013, nearly twice as many people have died from a heroin overdose as have
been murdered in the same time frame.
“It’s killing people at an extraordinary high rate,” said Bill Denihan, CEO of the Alcohol,
Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County. “This used to
be considered the inner city story. It’s not anymore. It’s everybody’s story.”
Because of the potency and unusually lethal nature of the heroin, overdose victims
often die long before being transported to a hospital and EMS personnel have
previously been ill-equipped to treat this particular situation. But in Elyria, police and
firefighters in are taking part in a new pilot program run by the state, equipping and
training them to administer Narcan, a drug to reverse the deadly effects of heroin.
“It’s a very small kit. It has two vials in it. If they come into an area where someone is
unconscious they would take the kit out, put a little spray adaptor on the syringe and
spray it into their nose,” said Lorain County Coroner Dr. Steven Evans.
Even if used on someone who hasn’t experienced a heroin overdose or even someone
who hasn’t ingested any heroin cannot cause serious harm. In fact, according to Dr.
Evans, there are no real side effects.
Evans says that Lorain County was chosen for the pilot program because of its stunning
increase in heroin-related deaths over recent years. He added that this program is
designed to help battle the heroin epidemic, but it won’t solve it alone.
“This is just to save their life. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s much more that
needs to be done after that,” he said.
http://usamdt.com/cleveland-ohio/elyria-police-carrying-heroin-antidote-combat-overdoseepidemic/
LORAIN COUNTY– Three people are dead and nearly two dozen more had to go to the hospital after they
took a potent form of heroin over the weekend.
One person is under arrest and police say it’s a growing problem that seems to only be getting worse.
Lorain police say there were 21 heroin overdoses across Lorain County over the weekend. Two people died
in the county; another died at a hospital in Cuyahoga County. The county coroner says it is the highest
number of overdoses he’s ever seen.
“This weekend apparently there was a bad batch of heroin and we had 16 overdoses just in a 24-hour period
in Lorain County,” said Lorain County Coroner Stephen Evans.
According to police, the number of heroin overdoses had jumped to 21 across the county by Monday
afternoon.
Three people died, including a 21-year-old man from Amherst and a 32-year-old woman from Elyria.
“We think that it may be laced with something like Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a strong narcotic that can be lethal
if taken in the same doses that you take heroin,” said Dr. Evans.
On Sunday, officers in Elyria arrested Siarerres Noble, also known as Sizzle, on Brunswick Drive in Elyria. He
was charged with three counts of trafficking in drugs.
They say they caught him with 75 grams of a potent heroin drug mix nicknamed “China White,” worth about
$10,000 on the street. It’s said to be four to five times stronger than heroin.
“There are so many people I know that are out here on heroin and it’s a killer. It’s a killer,” said a former
drug addict who did not want to be identified.
She says she’s a former cocaine addict, who has tried heroin and has many friends who still use it.
“It’s kind of a pain reliever and as people do it, more and more you need it every day and you get sick. You
can’t get out of bed; you can’t function; you get cold sweats; you have to have it daily. It’s a daily drug. You
have to have it,” said the woman.
The county coroner says more people may have died over the weekend, but Lorain police are part of a pilot
program to give heroin users a neutralizing drug called Narcan. He also says some people who cannot get
prescription pain medicine, turn to heroin.
“We had a huge population in the United States that were taking narcotic pain pills. As those are being dried
up, the people are switching to heroin because it’s on the streets. It’s cheap and it’s readily available,” Dr.
Evans said.
“It’s with any drug, you never know what you’re gonna get. You never know what people cut it with,” said
the woman.
Detectives are still waiting for lab results to confirm exactly what the susbstance is. Although Lorain police
tell FOX 8 that even though it’s being sold as heroin, field tests do not test positive for the drug.
Noble is being held in the Lorain County jail without bond.
The joint investigation is being conducted by the Elyria Police Department’s narcotics unit, Lorain police and
the Lorain County Drug Task Force.
link: http://fox8.com/2013/11/11/3-dead-dozens-sick-after-taking-bad-batch-of-heroin/
LORAIN COUNTY, OH - Police in Lorain County are in a race against time to find an
extraordinarily dangerous batch ofheroin responsible for a record number of overdoses.
"We've had 16 in the last 24 hours."
County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans sees the heroin spike this weekend, which included three
deaths, as epidemic. "There's a bad drug out there that is killing people."
The heroin resurgence seems to plague suburbia. Young adults become hooked on
prescribed medicine but once the prescription runs out they are addicted and turn to heroin.
"When somebody is addicted, they do whatever they can to get the drug.
At least three people were saved. I am told that they were brought back from the brink of
death by Lorain Police specially trained to deal with overdoses by carrying the antidote
drug- Narcan. Police carry Narcan because police are often the first on the scene."
Seems the extraordinarily dangerous batch of heroin circulating through Lorain County could
be cut with another drug or it could be almost completely pure. "Something is wrong with
the drug. We're having it tested because we have samples from someone who died."
Lorain Police are warning heroin users and their friends and family to be aware of this bad
drug circulating.
Posted: Nov 10, 2013 8:42 PM EST Updated: Nov 10, 2013
Copyright 2013 WOIO. All rights reserved.
http://www.19actionnews.com/story/23...-lorain-county
Ohio headlines: heroin, opioids and
overdose
POSTED BY MARY JANE BORDEN 154OC ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Columbus Free Press | September 3, 2014 | by Mary Jane Borden
Heroin is a serious concern. A member of the “opioid” class of drugs, “heroin” is actually the
trade name assigned by Bayer in 1898 to diamorphine, which is synthesized from the
morphine that is extracted from seed pods of the Asian poppy plant.
In its purest form, heroin has the same analgesic and pain relieving properties as its opioid
cousins - Oxycontin, Fentanyl, Diluadid and codeine - all available by prescription.
Illegal in all states under the most restrictive Schedule I, the heroin causing problems in
Ohio is far from pure. Authoritative estimates compute that the actual drug comprises less
than one third of a heroin dose. Adulterants include lactose, starch and sucrose, along with
caffeine and quinine. Some have their own deadly side effects.
The worst side effect of opioids is overdose. Pending signs include muscle flaccidity, cold
clammy skin, small pupils and low blood pressure. Decreased respiratory rate and the
suspension of normal breathing can be followed by unconsciousness, coma or death.
Whether injected, snorted or swallowed, opioids result in overdose when too much is
ingested or the level of pure drug is underestimated. To make matters worse, heroin may
not be the sole contributor to the deaths attributed to it. Other culprits include the
benzodiazapines or alcohol used in combination with it, which similarly cause respiratory
suppression.
Contrary to the headlines, the number of regular heroin users has remained steady since
2002 at about 0.1% of the population. What have exploded are deaths from prescription
opioids. According to the Ohio Department of Health, “unintentional drug poisonings”
jumped 335% from 1999 to 2009, with increases “driven largely by prescription drug
overdoses.” There were 1,373 such deaths in Ohio in 2009.
The bridge from legal prescription opioids to heroin can be an easy one to cross. The
Cincinnati Enquirer noted that many addicts “got hooked after they were taking opioids for a
legitimate injury.” Some also come to the drug to escape from abuse suffered as a child. For
those dependent on expired prescriptions, heroin becomes a less expensive, more readily
available option with a similar euphoric effect.
It’s not just the euphoria engendered by opioids that keeps users coming back. Severe
withdrawal symptoms can result from the abrupt discontinuation of use; long-term use and
physical dependence often follow.
Obviously, antidotes to opioid overdose and dependence are being sought. They range
from the ridiculous to the sublime. On the ridiculous side lies a plan fielded by a Butler
County prosecutor. It would appoint teen “guardians” in high schools to counsel fellow
students on heroin addiction. This experiment has been tried before. It was called the DARE
program, whose end game found student participants indistinguishable from their nonparticipating counterparts.
A more successful strategy involves naloxone, also called Narcan. Hamilton, Ottawa, Lake
and Lorain county first responders now carry this nasal spray that has proven remarkably
successful in stemming the overdose tide. The nasal mist closes opioid receptors thereby
breaking the high and reversing the overdose; it takes effect in a matter of seconds. The
problems with Narcan lay its one time use and hefty price in a time of restricted budgets and
an exponentially increasing problem.
Enter marijuana. A recent study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public, published in JAMA Internal Medicine and reported by Newsweek found that, in
thirteen states that permit the medical use of cannabis (marijuana), 25 percent fewer people
died annually from opioid overdoses. A study in the Journal of Neuroscience substantiated
this drop by finding that “CBD [a component of cannabis] specifically inhibited reinstatement
of cue-induced heroin seeking.” The study concluded that, “Movement from more harmful to
less harmful drugs is an improvement worthy of consideration by treatment providers and
policymakers.”
So Ohio policy makers, when it comes to heroin, opioids and overdose, where you stand
with respect to the consideration of less harmful, even beneficial drugs like naloxone and
cannabis? Well over 100,000 Ohio voters have already voiced their support by signing a
petition for the Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment. Rumors are afoot of legislation. There is
a song whose lyrics lament, “How many deaths will it take till we know that too many people
have died?” How many headlines are enough and how overdoses are too many? What
areyou doing to stem the teeming tide?
http://www.ohiorightsgroup.org/ohio_headlines_heroin
Lorain County distributes Narcan to help combat heroin epidemic
Posted: May 09, 2014 9:47 PM EDTUpdated: May 09, 2014 9:47 PM EDT
Posted by 19 Action News Digital Team
Narcan is a drug intended to save an addict who overdosed.
ELYRIA, OH (WOIO) Health officials in Lorain County are doing what they can to reduce deaths by
heroin overdose with the help of a new program called Project Dawn.
Additional Links
 Saving lives, Medina police add Narcan antidote to life-saving tools
 Heroin overdose epidemic in Lorain County
 Elyria works to combat overdose fatalities
The program distributes kits containing the drug Naloxone, or
antidote for heroin overdoses.
Narcan,
which is an
Lorain county recorded approximately 200 overdoses last year which is
considered an epidemic.
The $30 dollar kits are free to the public and are given out after proper
instruction, and only from a licensed physician.
''It has to be given by a physician, you just don't have a stash of it and hand it out
to people,'' said Elyria Health District Director Kathy Boylan.
The program was also made possible through the passage of a new law this
spring, allowing the Narcan kits to be distributed to the public as long as the
aforementioned guide lines are followed.
Boylan says the program does not encourage heroin abuse.
''We're preventing death, it's a prevention, it's public health,'' said Boylan.
The next Narcan clinic is scheduled for June 12, 2014 in the evening at the Elyria
Health District.
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Copyright 2014 WOIO. All rights reserved.
http://www.19actionnews.com/story/25479764/lorain-county-distributes-narcan-to-help-combatlethal-overdosing