A few weeks ago, Venus Woods stacked cardboard boxes containing syringes inside the huge white van parked in the parking lot of the office of an building located in Anchorage. She was getting the van ready for a trip as an mobile needle exchange vehicle to distribute these items as part of her work for the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association, or 4As.
Each week, she takes her van, then parks her vehicle in the Mountain View neighborhood of Anchorage and then waits. The van has a sliding door that is on the side. People arrive to exchange their old syringes to new ones. Exchanges of needles such as this help reduce HIV and the transmission of hepatitis by 50 percent because people don’t exchange needles as frequently.
The charity also provides safer drugs-related products like alcohol-based wipes, tourniquets and cotton balls that are clean. These supplies can help avoid illnesses like abscesses or chronic wounds which are typical among those who inject drugs.
Also, they give out Kloxxado. It’s a more powerful version of Naloxone which can be used to treat an overdose of opioids. Woods has heard people say they’re using overdose kits.
“I often hear the words”It’s incredible. It can save lives. I was forced to use it numerous times over the course of the week”” Woods said. Woods.
According to the health department of the state organizations distributed about 30000 kits in Alaska this year. Anyone who receives an item undergoes a short course of instruction. They are taught how to apply the nasal spray and they are required to call 911 afterward for medical assistance.
However, Woods stated that, in actual the people don’t call.
“I believe that the majority of our clients who have access to syringes don’t use an emergency department,” said Woods.
Woods is currently recovering from addiction She is also speaking about her personal experiences. She explained that people who take drugs can be considered to be treated differently by doctors as well as in hospitals, and might not wish to seek medical attention. Also, research supports this assertion. Drug users may stay away from healthcare due to past treatment or the dehumanization of others.
She explained that stigma could add to a person’s personal guilt about their use of drugs. But she also said that there are people within Alaska that are doing the job correctly, and Alaska is improving.
Coleman Cutchins is a clinical pharmacist with the Alaska Department of Health. He has said that he doesn’t want patients to stay away from health care due to fear of the stigma. He added that people visit health care to save their lives. And he’s very concerned about people not receiving medical attention after taking an overdose.
“I simply want to highlight the dangers of not dial the 911 number,” stated Cutchins. “Anytime someone gives Naloxone is to save the life of someone else and that’s great. The most crucial part of saving someone’s life is to give Naloxone, starting CPR and dial 911.”
Cutchins stated that in an overdose of opioids the patient forgets to breathe. Reversal drugs like Narcan assists in kicking opioids from the neurons in our brain. However, Narcan isn’t as effective like opioids. The doctor advised people to take multiple doses of naloxone when waiting to see an ambulance. However, it’s possible to get a high dose after taking Naloxone.
“There’s situations where someone appears perfectly fine but then, you know about an hour later, they’re backto their normal state. Sometimes, just a couple of hours later and they’re back in the state of respiratory depression,” said Cutchins.
He also said that even if people can survive the effects of an overdose they might suffer from medical issues for example, brain damage due to the lack of oxygen.
“The the quicker an individual receives help, the sooner they will be it is, and the less likely they will suffer a long-term injuries as a result,” said Cutchins.
Robin Lutz is executive director of 4As. She says that even if it’s ideal to call 911 in the event of having an overdose not practical. The reason for this is that the physical impact of being able to reverse an overdose is very uncomfortable.
“What is reported by patients is that it’s a type of instant, which we refer to as ‘dope sickness”” Lutz said. Lutz. “So it’s as if you’re experiencing an instant withdrawal. It’s a horrible feeling. It’s like having the flu multiplied by 50.”
It is possible that people do not want to go into an emergency rooms following that. Also, they could be worried about getting arrested. Good Samaritan laws in Alaska protect someone overdosing or helping another person with an overdose, regardless of whether they possess a personal amount of illegal drugs.
“People understand this, at least at a certain academic level” stated Lutz. “But I find it extremely difficult to believe this when you’ve had bad experiences, or a contact with law enforcement officers, which is what a lot of people who abuse drugs do, since the use of drugs is illegal.”
But good samaritan laws only protect people in an overdose situation if they stay at the side of someone until they receive medical attention or until the police arrive.
Lutz explained that no matter how many the people use the drug, Naloxone is essential and can save thousands of lives.
“People are dependent on Naloxone.” stated Lutz. “I am unable to imagine if the states didn’t have access Naloxone in the present, what overdose deaths could appear like.”
The group handed the overdose kits to 2,500 people in the past year, including Anchorage, Mat-su Borough, and Juneau. At times, people were asking for the kits but they were running out of kits to distribute.
