One hundred and six.
It’s the number of lives saved using naloxone kits distributed by the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition since January, according to Charlton Roberson, eastern regional coordinator for the organization. Roberson reported the information earlier this month to the Cumberland-Fayetteville Opioid Response Team (C-FORT).
Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is an opioid overdose-reversing medication that comes in a nasal spray and an injection. The medication is one of the most-cited reasons for the decrease in opioid overdose deaths across the United States and in Cumberland County.
A proven lifesaver, Cumberland County Department of Public Health officials want as many residents as possible to carry naloxone and feel empowered to use it.
“We’ll flood this community with naloxone so that everybody has access,” said Jesse Garner, who oversees the department’s federal naloxone education grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). “We’re going to bottom out that overdose death rate.”
Where can you get free naloxone kits?
Residents can pick up naloxone nasal spray kits from three places:
- The pharmacy on the first floor of the Cumberland County Department of Public Health at 1235 Ramsey St.
- The front desk of the C-FORT Recovery Resource Center at 707 Executive Place.
- The naloxone vending machine in the lobby of the Cumberland County Detention Center at 204 Gillespie St. If the machine is down, the kits are with the center’s front desk staff.
You can also request naloxone kits from C-FORT’s member organizations, like the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition. Almost 50 pharmacies in the county also offer the medication; a full list can be found on Naloxone Saves NC, a website funded by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and UNC-Chapel Hill’s Injury Prevention Center.
Garner emphasized that naloxone isn’t a drug and doesn’t get anyone high. For those with apprehensions about carrying the medication, he said it could mean someone gets to come home to their family member. Garner said it’s hard to find people not impacted by the opioid crisis; 141 Cumberland County residents died of an overdose last year, according to NCDHHS data.
“You’re in a store, and someone has suffered from an opioid overdose, and you’re not prepared,” he said. “If that’s your child, then how would you react?”
Sanquis Graham, local public health administrator at the county public health department, said it’s not just about saving those using illicit drugs. During the department’s August naloxone distribution efforts, Graham said they heard about a resident who accidentally overdosed on prescription opioids as part of their cancer treatment.
More county-provided naloxone distribution locations are also in the works, particularly in areas with high 911 overdose call rates. The health department previously identified areas along Bragg Boulevard, Cedar Creek Road and U.S. 301 as parts of the county with high overdose rates.
“We believe that when we disperse Narcan kits, we’re dispersing hope, we’re dispersing dignity and shared responsibility,” Garner said. “We need to understand that this is a battle for all of us. This is just not an individual thing.”
How do you administer naloxone nasal spray?
Before administering naloxone, check that the person has any of the common signs of an opioid overdose listed in SAMHSA’s Opioid Overdose Prevention TOOLKIT:
- Unconsciousness, and you aren’t able to wake them up by calling their name, shaking them or performing a sternum rub (where you take a closed fist and rub your knuckles across their sternum).
- Slow or shallow breathing, and sounds of choking or gurgling.
- Blue or purple lips or fingernails.
If the person seems to show these signs, Garner said to begin administering naloxone. To do so, lay the person on their back. Slightly tilt the person’s head back and insert the nozzle of the nasal naloxone dose up their nose until the tops of your fingers touch the bottom of their nostril. Press down on the plunger to administer the naloxone, and then remove the nozzle from their nose.
Wait two to three minutes to see if the person responds to the initial dose, Garner said. It is also recommended to call 911 during this time if you or any other bystanders haven’t already. You do not need to specify that you think someone is overdosing on the 911 call, SAMHSA’s toolkit says. Telling the operator, “Someone is unresponsive and not breathing,” and providing a specific address or description of the location is sufficient.
If the person is still unresponsive after waiting out the first dose of naloxone, Garner said to administer another. Each nasal spray naloxone kit comes with two doses.
Wait another two to three minutes to allow the naloxone to work. If the person is still unresponsive, Garner said to continue administering naloxone doses.
“Don’t be afraid to use it,” Garner said. “But, wait the proper amount of time so that the Narcan can do what it needs to do.”
While it is recommended to perform rescue breathing — also called mouth-to-mouth — Garner understands that not everyone will want to. At a minimum, he recommends continued chest compressions to get the person’s lungs working on their own.
Garner and his team — made up of two public health educators and a peer support specialist — will train any group, no matter the size, on how to administer naloxone for free. They’ve already trained barbers and faith leaders across the county.
A training lasts on average 90 minutes, and can be scheduled outside the typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. work hours. Those interested can schedule a training by emailing Garner at jgarner@cumberlandcountync.gov. Residents can also call the county health department’s main line at 910-433-3600 and ask for naloxone training.
CityView Reporter Morgan Casey is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Morgan’s reporting focuses on health care issues in and around Cumberland County and can be supported through the News Foundation of Greater Fayetteville.