Don't be ashamed to save lives with heroin antidote

Efforts to treat any of the many socioeconomic ills that sicken our nation – from unemployment to homelessness to crime – frequently are disparaged as half-hearted remedies that address merely the symptoms, not the causes, of the maladies.

But when it comes to the plague of opiate abuse ravaging our community, state and nation, its symptoms must not be understated. That’s because the symptoms of heroin addiction too often have catastrophic results, as evidenced by its skyrocketing death toll.

The Buckeye State ranked second highest in the nation in its 2,744 drug-overdose deaths in 2014, and that number keeps on soaring, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each day, one overdose death occurs at least every three hours in Ohio.

Fighting the scourge effectively means first lowering substantially its disturbing fatality rate. A larger base of survivors will allow greater opportunities to address the underlying causes of drug abuse and wean more abusers away from its deadly clutches.

Toward that hoped-for end, enter naloxone, a proven antidote to the fatal effects of opiates.

As The Vindicator reported in a Page 1 story Saturday, the ease of availability of naloxone has expanded exponentially in recent weeks in the Mahoning Valley.

Thanks to legislation signed about one year ago by Gov. John R. Kasich, the drug is now but a short jaunt to any of 30 drugstores throughout our three-county region. (A complete list of the 1,800 naloxone-dispensing pharmacies in the state is accessible at pharmacy.ohio.gov/Licensing/NaloxonePharmacy.aspx.)

But just don’t take our word for it. Consider the findings of Jeff Orr, commander of the Trumbull Ashtabula Law Enforcement Task Force, which has been on the front lines in the war on heroin for years. Orr estimates that naloxone – previously available only to health officials and emergency responders – saves about 500 lives per year in Trumbull County alone.

HOW NALOXONE WORKS

Clearly, naloxone, a so-called “opioid antagonist,” effectively counteracts the life-threatening shutdown of the central nervous system and respiratory system, allowing a victim of overdose to breathe normally and ward off death. Naloxone, better known by some by its trade name Narcan, can easily be injected into a muscle, vein or under the skin. It also can be sprayed into the nose.

Cameron McNamee, director of policy and communications for the Ohio Pharmacy Board, calls Narcan “peace of mind for a lot of friends and family members” of opiate users and addicts.

Given that priceless peace of mind that Narcan provides, one would think that a rush would be on to pharmacies to purchase the wonder drug.

Curiously, however, reports have surfaced of underwhelming sales.

For example, at Hometown Pharmacy on Youngstown’s West Side, manager AJ Caraballo reports it has dispensed only about 10 naloxone kits in the past year. “I don’t know if it’s a lack of awareness that it’s available, or if it’s still the stigma,” he said.

If it is the former, we would hope state and local health and anti-addiction agencies double-down on their public awareness campaigns on the drug’s life-saving potential and ease of access. If it is the latter, we’d hope such agencies also emphasize that stocking up on naloxone must not be viewed with shame. Rather, it should be regarded as an act of compassion.

As Caraballo put it: “[This is] a judgment-free zone. Addiction is a mental-health disorder. It’s not a moral condition.”

Clearly, however, the short-term fix that Narcan can provide must not be viewed as any long-term tacit acceptance of opioid abuse. Instead it should serve as a springboard toward ending addictive behavior once and for all.

Realistically, however, there is no quick fix for the root causes of heroin abuse. It is a complex and many-tentacled monster that reaches into the realms of depression and mental health, overprescribing of painkillers by medical personnel, and socioeconomic traps that make heroin an attractive escape valve for millions of its users.

Over the past year, more local, state and federal resources have been targeted toward sophisticated and comprehensive educational and treatment programs. With the epidemic showing few signs of contracting anytime soon, that commitment must continue unabated.

Part of that commitment, however, must focus on the very real need of treating symptoms and saving lives. Now that each and every Ohioan with a friend or loved one scarred by opioid abuse has the ability to do so easily and conveniently, it would be foolhardy not to invest in this proven elixir of life.