NH's Heroin Epidemic

Here's What YOU Can Do For Someone You Love Who Is At Risk.

It's no secret that NH has experienced an explosion of drug overdose deaths in the last handful of years. Congress has sent money, the state legislature is working hard to help, law enforcement has redoubled their efforts and counselors are busy doing their part. Still, the problem remains.

Because the problem is so complex, the solutions will be just as complicated, and sadly, not in time for some who are at risk. And for every parent that grieves, there are countless others facing sleepless nights worrying that their child/sibling/friend/coworker will be next.

You feel so powerless.

We talked with Nick Mercuri, Chief of the NH state Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. We asked what parents can do to help save a life. His strong admonition was for parents and friends of at risk people to learn rescue breathing and CPR.

The majority villain in NH's overdose crisis is heroin. Heroin kills by uber-relaxing body systems, including respiration. Overdosing victims' systems are mostly functional, but the body mechanism that warns people that they need more oxygen, become impaired. Shallow breaths or slow breaths become common and ultimately lead to slow, preventable asphyxiation. If someone was nearby, if someone could render breathing assistance until emergency medical responders were on the scene, lives could be spared.

Another life-saving measure would be to get Narcan (Naloxone). Recent changes in the law now allow friends and family to get prophylactic prescriptions for Narcan, a drug used around the state to aid overdose victims. It works by displacing heroin from the body's reception sites, temporarily inhibiting overdose effects. Because Narcan wears off, and the overdosing drug is still active in the victim's system, patients still require immediate medical attention. But it doesn't have to be administered by EMTs. If it's on hand, anyone can administer it, saving precious minutes. Drug allergies not withstanding, Narcan is a very safe drug, unlikely to do any harm if erroneously administered for a condition presenting similar symptoms. Talk to your doctor about a possible prescription and the correct administration of the drug.

Of course knowing CPR, rescue breathing and having a drug on hand is no substitute for comprehensive therapy, but drug users are often resistant to help. It just may be that knowing CPR and having Narcan on hand, commingled with vigilance and situational awareness, may well save the life of someone you love.


► Of Interest:
CALL TO ACTION: New Hampshire's Prescription Drug Epidemic  (NH DHHS)