UPMC officials demonstrated how to administer Narcan during the filming of an upcoming program on Harrisburg’s WHBG20 television station.
Following a weekend marked by a spike in overdoses in Harrisburg, local officials are uniting around prevention efforts.
City and Dauphin County officials gathered on Thursday for a discussion on the recent numerous drug overdoses and how those struggling with addiction can receive help.
The conversation will air on Harrisburg’s TV station, WHBG20, on Friday at 7 p.m.
From this past Friday through Thursday, the Dauphin County 911 Center received 29 overdose calls, with nine of them being fatal. The overdoses are believed to be due to crack cocaine and synthetic drugs that tested positive for fentanyl. Many of the calls came from the downtown and Midtown areas of the city, where a “bad batch” of narcotics circulated, according to Police Commissioner Thomas Carter.
“We’ve always had overdoses, but we haven’t had this many, this sudden at the same time,” Carter said.
The county coroner’s office is still working to officially determine the cause of death in each case.
The fatal overdose victims ranged in age from around 56 to 70 years old, a population that Carter said is older than the overdose victims the police bureau usually encounters. According to Carter, the victims may have used drugs in the past but aren’t used to the potency of many drugs now, and their bodies couldn’t handle the fentanyl.
While people may assume those using and overdosing from drugs are generally younger, those struggling with addiction run the gamut of ages, said Kristin Varner, director of Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Services.
However, Varner said that she believes, in this case, it doesn’t appear that the victims, most middle-aged or elderly, are people who would typically use opioids.
“Their bodies weren’t ready for it,” she said.
When it comes to reversing an overdose using naloxone, also known as Narcan, according to Carter, time is of the essence.
On Thursday, officials encouraged those with drug addictions, or those who know someone who struggles with addiction, to keep Narcan on hand. The medication, which can reverse an overdose, is available at pharmacies and many area agencies.
The police bureau is currently handing out Narcan for free to any community member in need, no questions asked, according to Carter. People can also access Narcan at Harrisburg-based The RASE Project, located at 100 N. Cameron St., as well as at JFT Recovery and Veterans Support Services, located in Lemoyne. JFT is also distributing fentanyl test strips, which are about 98% accurate at determining if a substance contains fentanyl, Varner said.
In addition to having tools like Narcan and test strips on hand, officials urge those using drugs to have someone with them in case of an overdose.
According to UPMC officials, administering Narcan is easy to do and should cause an immediate positive reaction for the overdose victim. Multiple doses of Narcan may need to be used in some circumstances, they explained.
To help those struggling with addiction, the county offers 24/7 access to recovery services by calling 717-635-2254.
“We need to figure out how we start to talk about harm reduction strategies,” said county Commissioner George Hartwick. “We need to make sure folks who are using are safe on the street today. We have a responsibility to save lives.”
For more information about Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Services, visit their website.
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