By Razylin M. Avendano
COVID-19 has killed nearly 1.2 million Americans.
So have opioids.
Naloxone may be the wonder drug that saves tens of thousands of lives. Also known as Narcan, it is a fast acting nasal spray widely available at no cost in San Diego County.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone and morphine that likely killed 120,000 Americans last year alone. Their intended use is to treat pain, but they are highly addictive and are often fatal if used improperly. Fentanyl is the worst of the bunch. It can be 100 times stronger than morphine and was the leading cause of opioid-related deaths in 2021, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Fentanyl’s power to kill is almost incomprehensible. A crystal the size of a baby aspirin can kill a person in minutes. Last month San Diego DEA agents seized a stash of smuggled fentanyl toxic enough to kill every person in the United States and Caribbean.
Free naloxone kits are available in a vending machine at the McAlister Institute South Bay Regional Recovery Center at 1180 Third Avenue, about six miles from the Chula Vista campus. It is San Diego County’s first naloxone vending machine. Plans are to install 12 machines throughout the region, according to an NIDA spokesperson.
To access the medication, one needs to scan a barcode, complete a form and watch a short video demonstrating effective administer of naloxone. Naloxone is also available at the Chula Vista and National City police departments, no questions asked.
A New PATH, a Spring Valley rehabilitation organization, will deliver naloxone. The Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego (HRCSD) reports that it has distributed more than 4,000 naloxone kits through mid-March, with hopes of passing out 33,000 by June.
Naloxone nasal spray is an FDA-approved opioid antidote to temporarily treat an opioid overdose. It works by attaching itself to opioid receptors and inhibiting its effects. There are no negative effects on the body if administered by mistake. Naloxone is fast-acting, but temporary. It lasts for about 30 to 90 minutes, enough time to call 911.
San Diego County’s efforts are part of state-wide Naloxone Distribution Project, created by the California Department of Health Care Services in 2018.