KNOWING CAUSES OF OVERDOSES AND APPLYING TIPS CAN HELP CURB EPIDEMIC

Concerned about Luzerne County's miniepidemic of heroin overdose deaths,
representatives of the recently formed Citizens' Drug Policy Forum of
Northeastern Pennsylvania have been in touch with authorities on heroin
overdose deaths both locally and throughout the world via the Internet.

The research pointed to six major causes of overdoses and the two
suggestions that can immediately reduce fatalities and stem the epidemic.

The main causes of overdosing were identified as:

1) Mixing heroin with alcohol is perhaps the leading cause of overdosing.

2) Sniffing/snorting heroin can lead to a build up in the nasal canal that
continues to inject drugs into the system even after initial signs of
overdosing.

3) Snorting heroin in quantities as though heroin was cocaine can be
deadly. Heroin is a much more potent drug.

4) After detoxification or a period of abstinence, taking the same dose of
heroin as previously is a major cause of overdosing. This often occurs to
persons released from prison. The body's tolerance has been lowered.

5) Injecting heroin that has been cut with improper materials can cause
fatal allergic reactions for some.

6) Obtaining purer heroin than previously can cause overdosing.

The two suggestions for significantly reducing deaths from overdoses are:

1) There is usually a two-hour window of opportunity for quick and
effective emergency treatment. Removing the fear of police investigation in
simple cases of drug overdosing will result in the earlier seeking of
emergency help. Since 85 percent of those experiencing overdose reactions
are with friends, delay in seeking aid usually stems from fear of an
encounter with police. If such is the concern, it is recommended an
ambulance be called, and it simply be stated that someone is having trouble
breathing and is passing out.

2) Naloxone, marketed under the brand name of Narcan, should be carried in
ambulance to enable immediate treatment. Naloxone reverses effects - such
as difficult breathing and coma - that are produced by narcotic drugs.

Dr. David Duncan, professor at the School of Medicine, Brown University,
had some creative approaches to talking with young people about drugs: "...
Messages aimed at the emphasizing danger is counterproductive. Most teens
aren't afraid of dying, they think they are invulnerable and immortal, so
warning that heroin can kill them simply has little or no effect except to
make it more daring and attractive. If you want to discourage heroin use,
then you will do better to emphasize things they really care about. Warn
the boys that heroin will make them impotent. Tell them about it causing
constipation; that'll scare most kids more than the risk of an overdose.
Tell them that heroin addicts often become unhealthy looking and ugly -
that they often smell bad. Those aren't lies and they really will
discourage kids from using heroin."

Among those epidemiologists consulted were David F. Duncan, Ph.D.,
professor at the School of Medicine, Brown University; Ernest Drucker,
Ph.D., professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Andrew Byme,
MD, of Sidney, Australia; and Tomos Zabransky, MD, Ph.D., of the Czech
Republic.The Citizens' Drug Policy Forum of Northeastern Pennsylvania is
devoted to reducing harm resulting from the abuse of legal and illegal
drugs and to drug policy reform.

For more information call 822-7692.

David Frey

Wilkes-Barre