San Juan Basin Public Health will hold its second event Wednesday to educate the public about reducing the harmful impact of opioid use and distribute resources that can blunt its impact. Naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an overdose, and fentanyl test strips will be available free from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday. No identification will be required to obtain the resources.
The events, the first of which was held on Nov. 16, are part of an opioid harm-reduction program that is in a nascent stage. La Plata County provided $331,187 to the department for the program using money it received from the American Rescue Plan Act. The money, which will be used over the next year and a half, was allocated by La Plata County commissioners to combat the rising number of overdose deaths and cases of diseases passed through the sharing of needles. The program will also include partnerships with area organizations to facilitate the distribution of the resources to those who need them as well as a needle exchange program.
Naloxone, often referred to by the brand name Narcan, is usually delivered via a nasal spray that can be administered by anyone with limited training. It acts to block opioid receptors and can restore breathing when breathing has slowed or halted because of an overdose. The drug has no adverse effect on someone who has not overdosed, making it a safe tool to distribute to the public.
Fentanyl test strips have also become a critical element of harm reduction. The synthetic opioid is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and has begun to show up in heroin, cocaine and other substances, leading to a rise in the number of fatal overdoses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,854 people died of an overdose in Colorado between June 2021 and June 2022.
“These events (are about) trying to make it very easy for folks to get their hands on these materials and make sure that they know that we are a resource for these materials and just invite people into our lobby to learn about opioid harm reduction, the challenges of having an increase in opioid use and overdoses in our communities,” said Megan Graham, spokeswoman for SJBPH. “So it’s not only concrete resources, but educational resources as well.”
Brice Current, deputy chief of the Durango Police Department, said officers started carrying naloxone five years ago and have been surprised at the frequency with which it is used.
“I thought it was going to be something we carry just to be used every now and then as more the exception than the rule, and it’s kind of become the rule more than the exception,” Current said. “We actually use it often.”
He also said use of the reversal drug should not be limited to police officers.
“It’s just like having a ... first-aid kit or anything else,” Current said. “Anybody really can use it and be trained really quick to use it. It’s about saving lives and being able to help.”
rschafir@durangoherald.com
