What Narcan Can Do for Our Community

In a community that calls itself “Someplace Special” and the “World Headquarters of Nice People,” it can be tempting to pretend like Ashland is immune to the troubles and traumas of the world. Why would someplace special need an overdose reversal drug?

It does no good to pretend like our community lacks real pain, brokenness, addiction, poverty, or need. Every community everywhere suffers in some kind of way. Together, we have the power to help those who are suffering and bring comfort, healing, and hope to those who are in desperate need of light.

Last year alone, our community had over 60 known overdoses reported to community leaders. The Quick Response Team (QRT), consisting of METRICH Detectives from Ashland City and Ashland County Sheriff's Departments and ACCADA's Peer Recovery Support Person were able to go on over 40 post-overdose visits to engage and provide support to individuals and families affected by an overdose.

Without Narcan, there’s little to no hope to survive a drug overdose, no matter its source.

Narcan is the only overdose reversal drug that exists to intervene during an overdose situation. Rather than enable a drug user to keep using drugs, Narcan is used in these emergency situations to save lives, and not just the lives of addicts. Narcan has saved the lives of police officers, firefighters, and other first responders who may be experiencing an overdose from contact with these potent drugs. 

After Deputy Ferrell and another deputy encountered fentanyl during a search of a woman allegedly in possession of illegal drugs, they began to experience an overdose. Realizing what was happening, the two deputies were able to administer Narcan to themselves, which ultimately saved their lives. 

“If it weren’t for Narcan, I wouldn’t be here,” Deputy Ferrell shared. 

Narcan is also frequently prescribed to patients along with vital pain medications following surgeries and procedures. Although these pain medications are effective and can be safe when taken as prescribed, Narcan is a valuable drug to have on hand in the event of an unintended overdose.

Drug addiction and substance misuse are by-products of desperation, poverty, chronic pain management, over-prescribed opiates, and many other situations that those who have never experienced sometimes can’t understand. These drugs create an immediate and powerful chemical dependency that hijacks a person’s brain. Narcan can reduce harm to those who struggle with substance misuse and addiction, no matter whether that addiction is by choice, by circumstance, or by accident.

We have the resources available to us in our community to save people’s lives and give hope to those whose lives have been hijacked by addiction. By using these resources in our community and being honest about the struggles, challenges, and pain that exist in Ashland, we give power, purpose, and greater truth to the tagline, “Someplace Special.” We make that tagline ring true.

Narcan can save lives. Learn how you or your organization can have Narcan available for such emergency situations.