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SUPPORT PREVENTION of DEATHS BY HEROIN OVERDOSE

Allow EMTs to carry and administer Narcan. Narcan’s primary use is to immediately reverse the effects of a heroin overdose.

What is Narcan?
Narcan is a short-acting opiate antagonist that, when administered after an overdose, blocks heroin’s action on the brain and restores breathing. That is Narcan’s only use. Narcan can be administered by way of: injection or nasal. Its potential for abuse is nil as it has no addiction potential or street value. It simply and effectively provides for an immediate withdrawal from a heroin overdose. Administering Narcan has been proven to be a simple, inexpensive and safe way to reduce mortality.

This year, Maine was able to implement such a program in less than one month. By the end of the year, 80% of all EMT's and first responders will be trained and able to administer Narcan.

Overdose facts:
- Deaths from heroin overdose have increased steadily over the past decade, primarily due to the absence of any public health measures aimed at reducing them.
- Between 1998 and 2001, 261 people in Connecticut died from drug overdoses.
- Many of these deaths were preventable.
- People are MOST at risk of overdose upon their release from prison or from a drug treatment program.

With this proposed legislation:
We seek to prevent needless deaths by requiring the Department of Consumer Protection to collect information on causes and rates of fatal and nonfatal overdose for the next 5 years by: Developing drug overdose response literature Allocating funding to drug overdose prevention, recognition and response projects.

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