naloxone

Press release:

The Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force has added another weapon in the battle to prevent opioid overdose deaths: a Text for Naloxone Line.

“We are very excited to offer this free and confidential text line to the community. Now, more than ever, it is vital to increase awareness and education about Naloxone and provide more ways to get it to those in need,” said Christen Foley, GOW Opioid Task Force coordinator.

To receive the Naloxone using the Text for Naloxone Line, text KIT to 877-535-2461.

When texting that number, individuals will be connected to the text line and prompted to answer a few brief questions, including the recipient’s name and address. The delivered kit also will include other resources, such as information on local services and video links on how to administer Naloxone and where to seek care following an overdose.

Naloxone (brand name Narcan, among others) is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration that reverses opioid overdose rapidly, It is an opioid antagonist, meaning that it binds to opioid receptors and can reverse and block the effects of other opioids.

Sometimes other drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamine, are mixed or laced with fentanyl.

Five key facts about Naloxone are as follows:

• It temporarily reverses the effects of an overdose from opioids, including heroin, morphine, oxycodone (OxyContin), methadone, fentanyl, hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, hydromorphone and buprenorphine.

• Naloxone is administered as a nasal spray, a prefilled device that sprays medication into the nose.

• It will not harm someone if you give it to them and they are not overdosing on an opioid. Signs of an overdose may include constricted pupils, falling asleep or loss of consciousness, limp body, slow breathing, choking or gurgling sounds, cold or clammy skin.

• It is one important step when helping someone who is overdosing. If you think that someone is overdosing on an opioid or another substance, call 911 immediately, and give Naloxone as quickly as possible – not waiting for emergency personnel to arrive.

• It can potentially save a life. For more information about the medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you or someone you know is taking prescribed opioids or using illicit opioids.  You may also want to ask about naloxone if you work or volunteer in an environment where you may be able to help someone who is overdosing.

Submitted photo: The GOW Opioid Task Force and HEAL Initiative are sponsoring billboards promoting a Text for Naloxone Line in Genesee County. This one is up on Route 5, west of the city of Batavia.

Press release:

Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse has scheduled in-person and virtual Naloxone & Opioid Overdose Prevention Training sessions into June of next year.

Twelve sessions will take place at The Recovery Station on Clinton Street Road in Batavia and six will be held at GCASA’s Outpatient Clinic in Albion starting in January. Additionally, six virtual training classes are scheduled, beginning Jan. 9.

The dates at The Recovery Station are as follows:

• Jan. 20, 10 a.m.
• Feb. 23, 6 p.m.
• Feb. 17, 10 a.m.
• Feb. 27, 6 p.m.
• March 17, 10 a.m.
• March 27, 6 p.m.
• April 21, 10 a.m.
• April 24, 6 p.m.
• May 19, 10 a.m.
• May 22, 6 p.m.
• June 16, 10 a.m.
• June 26, 6 p.m.

The dates at the Albion Outpatient Clinic are as follows:

• Jan. 9, 6 p.m.
• Feb. 13, 6 p.m.
• March 13, 6 p.m.
• April 10, 6 p.m.
• May 8, 6 p.m.
• June 12, 6 p.m.

Virtual training dates, all at 1 p.m., are Jan. 9, Feb. 13, March 13, April 10, May 8 and June 12.

Participants are asked to register in advance by sending an email to dklos@gcasa.org or calling 585-815-1883.

Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, and morphine.

The GCASA series is partially funded by United Way.

Press release:

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 years old. It is being mixed illegally with drugs like counterfeit painkillers, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, so the lethal dose is much smaller. You cannot see, taste, or smell fentanyl, but there is something you can do to protect others. Getting trained to administer Naloxone can help get those that are experiencing an overdose the time they need to get help. Naloxone is an FDA-approved medication that works to reverse an opioid overdose, including a fentanyl overdose. Naloxone works as an opioid antagonist by binding to opioid receptors and blocking the effects of opioids.

In Genesee County, fentanyl has caused a large number of deaths, and has even been found mixed in with other drugs. Since 2018, there have been 58 fatal opioid overdoses in the county, with 10 additional deaths still pending official causes of death as of November 2022. In 2020, Genesee County experienced 15 fatal opioid overdoses (25.7 per 100,000). With a higher fatal opioid overdose rate than that of New York State in 2020 (21.8 per 100,000), it is especially important for Genesee County residents to know the signs of an overdose so naloxone can be administered.

If someone is having difficulty breathing, is unconscious, choking, or experiencing discoloration of their skin or lips, an overdose may be occurring. Naloxone can be used to reverse both fentanyl and other opioid overdoses, such as heroin, oxycodone, morphine, and methadone. There is no harm in administering naloxone if an overdose is not occurring or opioids are not in the body.

The Naloxone Co-Payment Assistance Program, commonly referred to as N-CAP, can help individuals obtain naloxone. If you have prescription coverage as part of your health insurance plan, N-CAP will cover up to $40 in prescription co-payments. This ensures there are little to no out-of-pocket expenses for those getting naloxone at their local New York State pharmacy, all of which provide naloxone through a standing order that allows you to get this medication without a prescription. To learn more about N-CAP, please visit: www.health.ny.gov/overdose.

Individuals who use any type of illicit substance or misuse prescribed opioids are at risk of experiencing an overdose. Now more than ever, it is important to have naloxone nearby. Encourage your loved ones to be trained, carry naloxone, and tell their friends where they keep it in case they overdose. Reversing an overdose can be done in four steps: call 911, administer naloxone by inserting into the nostril and pressing the plunger, give CPR if trained, and stay until help arrives.

To learn more about fentanyl and naloxone, visit:

• HEALing Communities Study Website: www.HealTogetherNY.org/Genesee
• GOW Opioid Taskforce Website: www.gowopioidtaskforce.org/
• GO Health Facebook: www.facebook.com/GOHealthNY

If a drug overdose happened and you were nearby, would you know what to do to potentially save a life?

To be prepared, you just need to spend an hour in training.

A free virtual Opioid Overdose Reversal Training session will be held starting at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15.

This opportunity is sponsored by the Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center in collaboration with Spectrum Health and Human Services.

Certified trainer Dawn Stone, CRPA, of Spectrum, will teach you how to:

• Recognize the signs of an opioid overdose;
• Respond appropriately and effectively to an opioid overdose;
• Correctly administer the spray form of naloxone (Narcan);
• Apply the Good Samaritan Overdose Law to overdose responders.

A free reversal kit will be mailed to you upon completion of training.

To learn more visit th WNY Rural Area Health Education Center website.

Call Lisa Green to register at (585) 786-6275.

Press release:

The Recovery Station, an innovative program of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, is presenting an Overdose Awareness Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 28 at its 5256 Clinton Street Road location (formerly Bohn’s Restaurant).

“The event is all about raising the public’s knowledge of the opioid epidemic and the dangers of overdose, and reducing the stigma of drug-related deaths,” said Sue Gagne, coordinator of the agency’s recovery center.

Gagne added that the GCASA Prevention Department will conduct naloxone training and members of the GOW Opioid Task Force will be in attendance to answer questions and share information about the group’s mission.

A “memory tree” will be on site for those who wish to add a friend or loved one’s name in remembrance, and tours of The Recovery Station will be available.

Additionally, Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Erion and his K-9 partner, Frankie, are expected to conduct a demonstration at 1 p.m.

“All are welcome to attend – those in recovery, family members and area residents,” Gagne said, reminding everyone that face coverings must be worn during the tour and all social distancing and other COVID-19-related protocols must be observed.

For more information about GCASA’s recovery services or The Recovery Station, call Gagne at (585) 815-5248.