PREVENT OVERDOSE

A wave of overdose deaths from heroin mixed with a powerful pain
medication, fentanyl, highlights the need for city and state leaders
to focus on reducing drug-related harm to individuals and communities.

State and local health departments should immediately adopt effective
prevention strategies to reduce overdose deaths, including providing
heroin users, their friends and family, with Narcan, a medication
that reverses opiate overdoses.

Successful overdose prevention programs launched in Chicago, San
Francisco, Baltimore, New York City and New Mexico provide drug users
with Narcan, a medication used by first responders and emergency
rooms to reverse overdose; educate drug users about risk factors for
overdose; and train drug users on rescue breathing and calling 911.

If any other group of people were dying in such large numbers, the
city and state health departments would immediately act, getting
preventive medicine to those in jeopardy. Drug users should be
treated with the same amount of concern and respect. There is no
place for moralism in public health.

Leanne F. Savola

Detroit