Greenwich Hospital Donates Narcan to GPD

gpd-narcan-donation

By Richard Kaufman

As the country continues to grapple with the ongoing opioid epidemic, Greenwich is taking action.

On Monday, Greenwich Hospital formally announced that it has donated life-saving Narcan (Naloxone Hydrochloride) nasal spray kits to the Greenwich Police Department for use out in the field as part of an ongoing, coordinated effort between town bodies to eradicate opioids from the community.

On hand at the presentation was Greenwich Hospital President and CEO, Norman Roth; GPD Chief, James Heavey; State Sen., Scott Frantz; State Reps., Livvy Floren (R-149), Michael Bocchino (R-150), and Fred Camillo (R-151); Selectman, John Toner; members from Greenwich Emergency Medical Services and various hospital administrators.

“This is really an important occasion for us,” Roth said. “We’re delighted that our town has come together the way we have to try and help combat the unnecessary deaths associated with drug overdoses. We’re very pleased that Greenwich Hospital was a part of the donation to the GPD for administering these antidotes out in the field. “

Roth noted that, last year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there were over 72,000 overdose deaths in the United States, with 42,000 attributed directly to opioids.

Thirty-seven, two-dose kits will be implemented throughout the GPD in police cruisers, boats and specialty units, such as narcotics. The entire donation is worth an estimated $5,000.

Opioids in high doses can cause severe breathing problems, sleepiness or unresponsiveness, possibly leading to death. If the nasal spray is administered to an overdose victim right away, naloxone hydrochloride molecules travel through the body, to the brain and attach themselves to receptor sites, displacing the opioid molecules and reversing an overdose.

Additional doses can be given every 2-3 minutes if a person doesn’t respond. Narcan is very sensitive to light and needs to be kept in a controlled environment between 47 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be effective.

Heavey called the kits “a very important aspect of our first responders being able to make an intervention,” and said that the opioid epidemic knows no bounds.

“Greenwich is not immune to the scourge of drugs,” he said, adding that there have been eight overdoses in Greenwich this year. There was one fatal incident last October. Two years ago, there were 17 drug overdoses in Greenwich, and five were fatal. Heavey said he hopes to not only help people in the short term, but to continue to make those numbers drop over time.

“This is just one tool in our toolbox. We also have a very active prevention council that’s working to address all the other ways we can stop the abuse of drugs and save lives.” The department is also using results of a recent survey from public and private schools to gauge the problem of drugs around town.

Although the formal donation took place on Monday, the GPD has been carrying Narcan for several months. The department has already seen positive results.

“Within days of us putting these units in the car, we had an overdose where an officer administered the Narcan and made a contribution and saved a life along with GEMS, who’s really our Emergency Room on wheels. They came in and took over the patient, and there was a successful outcome when they arrived at Greenwich Hospital,” Heavey said.

Selectman John Toner said that when he was first elected to office several years ago, he wanted to join the civilian police academy to get a better understanding of how the GPD operates. He said that one of the first courses dealt with the number of opioid overdoses in Greenwich.

Toner, a lifelong Greenwich resident who was born at Greenwich Hospital, was taken aback.

“I was shocked at that because I didn’t think my hometown had this problem. I’m very happy that the police, the hospital, and GEMS have formed this coalition to try and save lives,” he said.

Last legislative session, the Greenwich delegation to Hartford passed legislation which limits the number of days opioids can be prescribed. State Sen. Scott Frantz said that he, along with the rest of the delegation, has seen too many cases around the district in which family members have lost loved ones to drugs.

“It’s out of control,” he said. “We’ve done a lot in the last legislative session, and if we’re reelected we promise to make this a problem that will go away, or come close to going away, in future years through future legislation.”

Roth concluded by thanking the work done by all the parties involved to help the community.

“When we see problems, we go after them. It’s pretty unusual to have the kind of cooperation that exists among all of the professional disciplines here in Greenwich,” Roth said. “We are privileged to be a part of this community.”

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