Members of the Fountain Hills community were brought up to date on the opioid epidemic courtesy of a presentation sponsored by Guardian Training & Consulting, the Town of Fountain Hills and Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce.

The event, “Use of Naloxone (Narcan) by the Public for Opioid Overdoses,” covered some of the history of the threat posed by opioid abuse, measures for handling a suspected overdose, as well as hands-on practice for CPR and the use of Narcan, a nasal spray that can combat the effects of an opioid overdose.

Guardian Director of Medical Operations Tim Freund was the primary speaker, backed up by Josh and Karen Logan.

According to Freund, counterfeit pills are the greatest hazard being faced across the country right now. Synthetic opioid abuse continues to climb, with the number of reported overdoses climbing by 31 percent from Jan. 2020 to Jan. 2021.

While many assume opioid abuse is a “young” problem, Freund noted that the 45-54 age range has the highest rate for opioid deaths.

“So it’s not just our kids,” Freund said. “It’s our friends, our parents, our family.”

Freund said that when taken properly and as prescribed, opioids and opiates can help patients with pain. The problems begin, though, when those drugs are abused, especially when they are obtained illicitly. With opioids obtained on the street, there’s no guarantee of what, or how much, is actually being taken, frequently leading to an overdose.

Some of the most commonly used opioids include fentanyl, oxycodone, codeine, morphine and heroine. These drugs are commonly administered orally (pills), or intravenously, by snorting, smoking, etc.

Abuse

As noted above, Narcan is a nasal spray that can combat the effects of an opioid overdose. Free doses of Narcan are available locally during regular operating hours at both Fountain Hills fire stations, the Chamber of Commerce and Thrivent.

Freund listed several groups of folks most at risk for opioid overdose, including young adults experimenting with drugs and those who are unaware of what opioids are or what they can do. Chronic users who were recently released from jail or detox, or those with a recent history of relapse are also more vulnerable to an overdose. Also of concern are people with chronic illness or pain, spread across all ages and demographics.

Signs someone may be a narcotic abuser include an increase in drowsiness, secrecy, irritability, mood swings, problems in school, restlessness in the morning and problems with self-control. You may also notice a decrease in self-esteem, concentration/motivation, dependability and interest in personal hygiene.

Overdose

When a person overdoses on an opioid, it results in a depression of the respiratory and central nervous system, having the effect of slowing everything down within the body. This usually leads to a decrease in consciousness, respiratory drive, heart rate and blood pressure.

Freund explained that it is important to be relatively sure a person has overdosed before administering Narcan, rather than just “really high.” Signs of an overdose include altered level of consciousness, slow or shallow breathing and the person will not wake up with painful stimuli, such as a pinch. In this situation, Narcan can be sprayed into the person’s nose and potentially save their life by countering the effects of the opioids in their system.

It is important that 9-1-1 be called immediately, as the effects of Narcan only last about an hour and, after that, the person risks experiencing symptoms of an overdose again. CPR may also be administered.

Freund stressed that Narcan is a safe medication and should improve a person’s breathing in two to eight minutes, though it may result in a sudden onset of withdrawal symptoms. For that reason, he said it is important to make sure a person has overdosed before administering Narcan.

Dial 9-1-1

Arizona has a “Good Samaritan Law,” which basically states that individuals should feel comfortable reporting a drug overdose without fear of prosecution. These measures were put in place to encourage folks to report these types of emergencies rather than risk death out of fear they might “get in trouble.”

Freund said it is important to know your location before dialing 9-1-1, whether that be address, streets or landmarks. The caller should specify if they need law enforcement, fire/EMS or both, whether or not the person is breathing, if Narcan has been administered and if someone is doing CPR.

Josh Logan said Guardian aims to offer similar presentations in the future, so those who missed this first event should keep their eye out for announcements.

For additional information about Guardian, visit guardiantrainingandconsulting.org or call 480-331-4192.