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November 5, 2024 6:46 am
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Yavapai County Task Force Begins Program Aimed at Saving Lives from Opioid Overdose – YCSO

Last week the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel unanimously voted to recommend the agency approve Narcan (known in generic form as Naloxone), a life-saving drug for opioid overdoses, be made available to purchase over the counter without a prescription. Greater access to Naloxone, law enforcement has argued, has the potential to save countless lives.

While waiting for FDA approval for over-the-counter availability, Yavapai County’s Partners Against Narcotics Trafficking (PANT), in coordination with MatFORCE and the DEA is about to begin the “Naloxone Leave Behind” program, where law enforcement will leave Narcan with people when responding to suspected overdoses and when serving narcotics related search warrants.

They will also leave information on how to administer naloxone if needed to save a life, and information on treatment options.  This program is in response to the sky rocking opioid overdose cases seen across the county and country.

According to an article in the Washington Examiner, “Naloxone has been effective in treating fentanyl poisoning. Illicit fentanyl, a highly addictive synthetic opioid, is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams, roughly the weight of a mosquito, and small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially lethal dose.”

PANT provided the following statistics for Yavapai County showing the need for this important program.

2021                                                                       2022

Total Overdoses 160                                       Total Overdoses 145 (down 15)

Fatal 38                                                              Fatal 43 (up 5)

Naloxone Administered 95                           Naloxone Administered 73 (down 22)

 

“Yavapai County law enforcement does carry Narcan in their patrol cars, but they cannot always get to an overdose in progress fast enough.  Leaving Narcan with those who have or may in the future suffer an overdose, will hopefully slow the number of fatalities,” said PANT Commander and YCSO Lieutenant Winfrey.

Narcan Is Not a Magic Bullet

It’s important to note that while Naloxone is successfully used in emergencies, it doesn’t replace emergency medical care, health officials warn. Naloxone is metabolized by your body which will then return the victim to an overdose state. If naloxone is used, immediate medical care is crucial.

Helping Someone in Need Will NOT Get You Arrested

Law enforcement wants to stress that helping a person in need will not get you legal trouble. The Good Samaritan law in Arizona prevents individuals from criminal prosecution for drug offenses when they seek out naloxone for someone suffering from an opioid overdose or when they report an opioid overdose to the authorities.

The FDA has said it will make a decision by March 29, although the decision could come sooner.

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1 thought on “Yavapai County Task Force Begins Program Aimed at Saving Lives from Opioid Overdose – YCSO”

  1. This is crap! Paid for again by my tax dollar. It used to be a deterrent to OD, now the county, law enforcement and our idiot leaders, say ‘go ahead! soon we’ll pay for everything cuz you have a disease. I’m in recovery and WAS a drug & alcohol counselor no more!!! give them treatment or a grave. Dont care, this attitude is ruining our country.

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