Heroin Antidote Saves 25 in First Year in Illinois
Oct. 17--As a young man gasped for breath and began to turn blue, Hanover Park police officer Timothy McNulty and his partner administered Narcan, a drug that reverses the effects of a heroin overdose.
"From being almost completely unresponsive with gasping for breath he started to breathe a little more steadily ... and at that time paramedics were on scene and treated him and he ultimately lived," McNulty said.
DuPage County health and law enforcement officials on Thursday celebrated the one-year anniversary of the DuPage Narcan Program, which has equipped more than 1,700 police officers in 33 departments with Narcan nasal spray, also known as naloxone. Doing so has saved 25 lives, according to county officials.
"This Narcan is a measure that has and will continue to save lives and give these people a second chance that otherwise they might not have," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said.
Many suburbs have been battling a rising tide of heroin overdoses in recent years as the drug has become cheaper, stronger and more accessible.
"We here in DuPage County are beginning to reverse that trend because we have to," DuPage County Sheriff John Zaruba said. "It's our sons and it's our daughters and our neighbors and our friends that are victims of this killer."
The county saw 39 opioid deaths in 2012 and 48 in 2013, most from heroin, according to the DuPage County coroner. So far this year there have been 26 confirmed deaths from opioids and 25 lives saved with Narcan.
"I think we all agree we considered this program a success when the officer saved the first person's life," DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin said.
He also announced that the county's effort received a $50,000 donation from Ed Heil, whose grandson, Connor Kelly of Elmhurst, died of a heroin overdose in March at age 18.
"The education for them is very important and being able to save them before they die is extremely important," Heil said. "I just hope I can be a small part of that and I hope other people join with me and all these fine officers to try to save these kids."
Officials said each unit of Narcan costs $16. Although only the injectable version has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration so far, DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen said the nasal spray is cheaper and more easily used by officers.
"We know it works well," he said. "We have had 25 uses and not one person did not respond so it's pretty incredible to use a medicine you have no failures over."
County officials say they also are working to reduce the supply and demand for heroin by more aggressively prosecuting drug dealers and educating inmates and students about its dangers.
Hinsdale police Chief Brad Bloom said he does not believe making Narcan available will lull addicts into thinking they have a safety net.
"I see this as providing someone an option and hoping that after they have a close call they do get help and it's a wake-up call," he said. "You can't get better if you're not alive."
Copyright 2014 - Chicago Tribune
