Burke residents learn to save lives with naloxone training

Opioid usage isn’t slowing down in Burke, but deaths caused by opioid overdose have.

Burke Recovery paired with the Burke County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday to host three training sessions for naloxone, a medication used to immediately reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Opioids are drugs used in medical settings as pain relievers, but they’re also used recreationally for relaxing and euphoric effects. Common opioids are heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. Fentanyl is a synthetic form of an opioid and is the No. 1 cause of opioid deaths, according to Winebarger.

Naloxone, also known under the brand name Narcan, comes in the form of a nasal spray and injection. Joe Winebarger, adolescent prevention specialist at Burke Recovery, demonstrated the proper way to administer the naloxone nasal spray.

“In Burke County, the number of monthly deaths due to opioid overdoses has decreased from 60 to around 20 monthly,” Winebarger said.

Although the number of deaths is going down, the safety net of naloxone has increased the usage of opioids. Winebarger says opioid users throw “naloxone parties” to purposely overdose and then use the nasal spray.

“We have a drug issue in Burke County,” said Tonia Stephenson, president and CEO of the Burke County Chamber of Commerce. “And drugs are keeping people from working, and our businesses need employees. As a Chamber, if there’s an issue that affects our businesses, we try to do what we can to improve that issue.”

Winebarger says the injection was the first form of naloxone released, but the nasal spray is now the most commonly used form of the medication.

As of January 2016, 52 law enforcement departments in North Carolina carry naloxone to save the lives of overdose victims. According to Sheriff Banks Hinceman, in Burke County, each officer carries two doses of naloxone nasal spray.

An overdose occurs when an opioid attaches to brain receptors and slows down the respiratory system to the point where a person will eventually stop breathing. Naloxone blocks opioids from attaching to brain receptors.

Signs of an overdose:

• Loss of consciousness or unresponsive
• Slow, shallow breathing
• Skin color changes to blue, purple, green, or gray
• Choking sounds
• Vomiting
• Slow pulse

During an overdose, Winebarger says the natural response for someone administering naloxone is to panic, but directions are enclosed, and 911 dispatchers are always available to provide directions on how to administer the drug.

Naloxone can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies and varies in cost between $120 to $150. Recovery agencies, such as Burke Recovery and the health department, provide naloxone free of charge. Winebarger says naloxone will soon be available in vending machines. The drug typically comes in 2mg and 4mg doses.

“Even if you are unsure the type of overdose someone is having, naloxone is safe to use,” Winebarger says.

Naloxone only counters opioids and has no other effects on the body. According to Winebarger, it’s best to use naloxone during an overdose because some substances are often laced with opioids such as fentanyl.

If naloxone is distributed, it is recommended that the victim is checked into a hospital after an overdose.

“Burke Recovery are the experts on the drug (naloxone),” Stephenson said. “If we could provide this training for employees to get help if they need it, it would also help employers.”

Burke County Recovery is a nonprofit organization that offers substance abuse treatment and prevention for adults and children. Naloxone is available at Burke County Recovery at 203 White St.