Naloxone, a medication commonly known as Narcan, reverses opioid overdoses by blocking the effects of opioids, such as prescription pain killers or heroin, on the brain and can restore breathing in a matter of minutes. Naloxone has no potential for abuse and it can be given as a nasal spray or as an injection into a muscle.
Prioritizing the accessibility of naloxone to at-risk opioid users and those individuals who can intervene and save lives is an important step our local government can take in joining the fight against the drug overdose epidemic. In 2015, this epidemic took the lives of more than 3,000 Ohioans, including 279 residents of Franklin County.
In 2013, when I was serving our community as State Representative in the Ohio House, I sponsored legislation that expanded access to naloxone by making it available to family members, those close to drug users, and law enforcement. This September, under the leadership of City Council President Klein, Council passed legislation appropriating dollars to Columbus Public Health and allowing CPH to contract with Equitas Health, a non-profit community based health center, to provide naloxone to residents of Central Ohio.
In addition, Columbus police officers have been authorized to carry and administer naloxone. As police frequently arrive at the scene before EMS, dozens of lives have been saved by law enforcement.
The tragedy of opioid addiction is real and urgent for too many families in our community. Thus, we have a moral imperative to support compassionate responses focused on treatment and rehabilitation. For opioid users, naloxone can be an opportunity at a second chance and a pathway to treatment and sustained recovery.
As Council President Zach Klein has said, “the evidence is there that once a life is saved, once there are opportunities made available, there is an increased likelihood for successful treatment.”
Pharmacies around Ohio now offer naloxone without a prescription. You can view a complete list of participating pharmacies at www.pharmacy.ohio.gov/stopoverdose. If you or someone you know needs help, you can call 1 (877) 275-6364 to find an addiction services provider near you. It’s also important to remember that medicines left in the home are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. In order to locate a safe disposal near you, please visit: www.pharmacy.ohio.gov/disposal.
If you’d like to share your thoughts about this City Council and Columbus Public Health initiative, or anytime that I can be of help or service, please call me at (614) 645-8084, or email me at [email protected] and I will do everything I can to help.
– Michael Stinziano
Columbus City Councilmember