Friday, December 05, 2014YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Meridian HealthCare and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department, along with the Boardman Township, Austintown Township and Youngstown Police Departments, announced a partnership Thursday they say holds the potential to greatly reduce the number of deaths due to opioid overdoses.
Meridian has helped each of the departments to secure Naloxone kits and is donating training and support in how to use them. Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a generic, low-cost, non-narcotic medication that can immediately reverse an overdose caused by an opioid drug, such as heroin or prescription pain medication.
The drug, which emergency medical professionals have used safely for more than 40 years, works by blocking the brain cell receptors activated by opioids such as oxycodone (e.g. OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin) and heroin. Commonly administered through a nasal spray, Naloxone works within two to eight minutes to restore breathing, returning the victim to consciousness, and reversing the effects of opioids on the brain and respiratory system.
According to the Ohio Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics, drug overdoses increased in Ohio by 372% from 1999 to 2010. A major contributor to this increase is the greatly expanded use of prescription opioids. Such prescription medications now account for more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
“We’re proud to partner with Sheriff Greene and help get these kits and the training they need to his department and other law enforcement departments around the county,” said Larry Moliterno, president/CEO of Meridian HealthCare.
“There is no doubt that opioid-related overdoses have grown over the past few years at an alarming rate,” he continued. “We’ve learned from our work in the field that the problem reaches into every neighborhood and all walks of life today. Our focus at Meridian is not only to help the individual, but also provide support for their families. So if we can help save one person through this program, it will be worth the time and effort we have all invested in it.”
Distribution of the Naloxone kits to Mahoning County law enforcement is part of a broader nationwide effort to equip these entities with the tools that can potentially save lives that would otherwise be lost.
“It’s important to note that this program was paid for with seized drug money; it doesn’t cost the taxpayer a dime,” said Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene. “Getting these opioid overdose kits, and the training to use them, was something that really needed to be done. It’s universally accepted that the opioid addiction problem has now reached epidemic proportions.
“After the initial training cycle, I will be contacting all of the chiefs from the rural township police departments and offering to pay for these kits and the training needed for their departments,” he said.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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