Pubdate: Wed, 16 Jul 2014
Source: Truro Daily News (CN NS)
Page: 8
Copyright: 2014 The Daily News
Contact:  http://www.trurodaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1159
Author: Kayla Follett
Note: Kayla Follett is a Master of Social Work graduate, with the
Newfoundland and Labrador Sexual Assault Crisis Centre. Her research
on this topic was conducted during an internship with the Waterloo
Region Crime Prevention Council, and was published in the July 2014
issue of the Journal of Critical Social Work (co-authored by Anthony
Piscitelli, Michael Parkinson and Felix Munger).

WITNESSES OF DRUG OVERDOSE FEARFUL TO CONTACT EMERGENCY SERVICES

What if you could save a life?

Just one life. Would you? For almost all of us the answer to these
questions is an enthusiastic yes. Without question, regardless of
anything, a life, just one life, is worth saving.

But what if saving that person's life tested your political
standpoints around drug use? Would that life still be worth saving?
Across this country people are dying from legal and illegal drug use.
Reliable statistics on drug overdoses across Canada are difficult to
find, but research by the Ontario coroner shows that on average there
is an overdose every day in our nation's capital and 33 people a year
die from overdose in Ottawa. Clearly, people who use drugs along with
their family and friends, come face to face with death all the time.
But what can be done? How can we save people? One answer lies in the
way emergency services respond when they receive drug overdose
emergency calls.

If you were to witness a heart attack, you would call 9-1-1 without
hesitation. You would not think of the repercussions of making that
call - someone is having a heart attack and their life needs to be
saved. Now try to imagine how this scenario changes: it is not a heart
attack, it is a drug overdose. Our research, published in the most
recent issue of the Journal of Critical Social Work, shows that people
who witness overdoses think very hard about the repercussions of
making that call to 9-1-1. Sometimes these repercussions are too great
- - people will hesitate or not call at all.

Fear of arrest weighs heavily on this life or death decision. People
legitimately fear the police showing up, being criminally charged for
drug possession, and for mothers, having their children taken away.
All of these consequences anxiously whirl around in the panicked mind
of a witness. What happens? Over half of the people surveyed do not
make the critical 9-1-1 call. Some may try to help the victim
themselves, which sadly can have dangerous consequences. Street
remedies can often make the situation worse. The longer someone waits
for medical assistance the more likely that a life will be lost.

So what can be done? How can we save people? One idea used in
Vancouver is to limit police involvement in routine overdose calls.
The theory goes, if you don't send the police there is no reason to
fear calling 9-1-1. Unfortunately, this solution won't work in many
parts of Canada. In many cities and most rural communities the police
are often the first responder and those in the best position to save
an overdose victim's life. A more feasible, Canada-wide option is Good
Samaritan Drug Overdose Laws. These laws protect overdose victims and
someone who calls 9-1-1 from arrest for being under the influence,
simple drug possession, and possessing drug paraphernalia. They do not
protect people from serious offenses such as trafficking. Good
Samaritan Drug Overdose Laws exist in several American states.
Preliminary evaluation of Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Laws out of the
United States show that 88 per cent of opiate users are aware of the
law and are more likely to! call 9-1-1.

Making naloxone, also known as Narcan, available in every province
without a prescription is also an essential piece of this puzzle.
Naloxone can be easily administered and it temporarily counteracts the
effects of drug overdose, providing precious time to get the person to
the hospital. The Ontario Health Ministry recently introduced naloxone
for public distribution and emergency responders watch in amazement as
the compound saves lives.

Ultimately if we truly believe that every life is precious, then the
answer is policy change. We need to reduce the barriers to calling
9-1-1 during routine drug overdoses by providing limited legal
immunity through Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Laws and we need to work
on distributing naloxone across Canada, barrier-free. That life, that
one life, would be saved.

If you ever are unfortunate enough to witness a drug overdose the
correct course of action is to call 9-1-1, perform CPR if the victim
has stopped breathing and administer naloxone if you have access to
it.

Kayla Follett is a Master of Social Work graduate, with the
Newfoundland and Labrador Sexual Assault Crisis Centre. Her research
on this topic was conducted during an internship with the Waterloo
Region Crime Prevention Council, and was published in the July 2014
issue of the Journal of Critical Social Work (co-authored by Anthony
Piscitelli, Michael Parkinson and Felix Munger).  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D