Now in its second decade, the opioid epidemic has claimed more than 800,000 lives in the United States. This is more deaths than in all U.S. wars and armed conflicts combined “from the Revolutionary War to the present,” according to the article “The Opioid Crisis – Not Just Opioids Anymore,” by Doctors Jeffrey Brent Weiss and Stephanie Weiss. (JAMA Network Open, 2022).Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid with approximately 50 times more strength than heroin and comes with a 10-fold increased death rate. Unfortunately, it has made itsway into lacing nonopioid agents such as cannabis and stimulants, so unsuspecting users have a greater risk for unintentional overdoses. A Fentanyl amount equal to a pinch of salt can kill the unsuspecting user.
Block Island, by its nature, has not been shielded from these events. Naloxone (Narcan) continues to be our best intervention after an intentional or unintentional overdose. Naloxone is simple to use and highly effective. With multiple grant agencies, Naloxone is widely available, free of charge. BIHS is working with the New Shoreham Police Department, our EMA director, town government, and state agencies to create publicly accessible Naloxone. NAMI Block Island has been a consistent partner to
