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Narcan Needs to be Legal to Anyone who can Save a Life Sometimes in our society we just do not think the best way we can. In this country a person overdoses every 19 minutes. When it comes to heart attacks the doctors came up with the plan known as (MONA). An acronym for (Morphine, Oxygen, Nitro, and Aspirin.) Later the doctors and researchers said lets develop a protocol for anyone to be able to save someone if they were having a heart attack. They came up with Aspirin, Oxygen, and CPR and if it is a sudden heart attack we need to make an AED, (Automated External Defibrillator.) Now many people each year are saved by the tools that were only used in a local emergency room. From experience at the shelter I have worked about 30 heart attacks where we did CPR or used the AED and you know what it feels great when you save that person. Aspirin has saved many here as well. On the subject of overdoses we have saved many people as well but many more could have been saved if we would have used a substance called Narcan. Narcan is a simple drug that is in a needle and if a person overdosed on heroin or a person took too much pain medication and was almost dead, the bystander could give them a shot of Narcan and then they wake up in just a few minutes. Think of an EPI Pen that is used for bee stings and other allergic reactions. Some states passed laws that states Narcan can be passed out to known opiate abusers. Most overdoses occur at home and if Narcan was in the house maybe many moms and dads would not have lost their son or
daughter. Florida is still dragging their feet on allowing Narcan to be passed out. Florida has made some steps but is still behind in time. Some states won’t even budge where as other states believe in harm reduction and push for Narcan to be passed out to stop overdoses. Of course Canada is way ahead of the game on their Harm reduction feelings. OK what is Harm Reduction? Instead of defining it let me give you an example. We all know that Aids and Hepatitis is spread in large numbers by drug users who shoot drugs inside dirty needles. Many people thought it was smarter States with naloxone access and drug overdose Good Sam laws to stop the spread of Aids and States with drug overdose Good Sam laws only other diseases by giving away States with naloxone access laws only clean needles. Others would dying. Every state should allow access to Narcan. say that you are encouraging people to use drugs. The smart Come on Florida, get it right. We need to be ahead people would say if we use clean needles we are stopping the of the game and not way behind in years. There is no spread of deadly diseases. The theory is giving away clean excuse. We call our Nation the best nation there is. needles would cause less harm. Yes it is but we fail a lot of the time when it comes to It is time that every State in our nation allows Narcan to be healthcare and the time it takes to get approvals and in used by just about anyone who is trying to help someone form the meantime many people die.
Attacks on homeless worry advocates; safety campaign planned September 8, 2013|By Mike Clary, Sun Sentinel ficer assigned to homeless outreach, said many homeless are Alarmed by the number of homeless people who say reluctant to report crimes. But violence is a constant, “the price they’ve been violently attacked, a coalition of advoof living on the streets,” Downs-Keesling said. cacy groups is planning an education campaign aimed She and Wilby said they know of two homeless women who at improving safety for the thousands of men and were raped in July. women who sleep nightly on South Florida streets. “We don’t hear about attacks because people are afraid of reThe campaign, spearheaded by the county’s Task taliation,” said Lilly Gallardo, director of social services at the Force Fore Ending Homelessness, will include tips Salvation Army. “But we observe. We see the busted lips, the on the safest types of places bruises, the women who are black and to sleep, how to safeguard blue. There is a lot of violence among personal belongings and a the homeless themselves.” Those who do want to quit the plea for more cooperation The task force’s survey, designed by among area homeless, said the streets and enter a rehabilitation or the Boston’s Healthcare for the Homegroup’s CEO Lorraine Wilby. less organization, was intended to Between March and June job training program often have to identify those most at risk of dying if this year, the task force contheir living conditions go unchanged. wait ducted a survey of 250 homeBut getting even the most vulnerless in Broward that found able off the street is not simple. Many 44 percent of women and 34 don’t want to live in a shelter or in percent of men reported being the victim of a violent subsidized housing, even when space is available, according attack since taking up life on the streets. to experts. Those who do want to quit the streets and enter a “I have heard more reports of assaults in the last six rehabilitation or job training program often have to wait. months than I ever have,” said Wilby, who has spent “We have a waiting list of 34 women waiting to get into the 10 years directing the homeless into shelters and rehaHAC (the three Homeless Assistance Centers in Broward), and bilitation programs. “These are not beatings for beatit’s taking five to seven weeks to get someone off the streets,” ings sake, but for robbery of cell phones, medications Wilby said. and food stamp cards.” Janet Montague, 50, said she has been assaulted four times in Too often, said Wilby, “homeless folks don’t help the past few years, including the most recent incident in June each other out when they hear something going on. when she was punched in the face while walking down a HolThere needs to be more camaraderie.” lywood street in the late afternoon. Knocked down, her two Despite the survey, statistics are hard to come by. assailants made off with a bag containing all she owned, inSandi Downs-Keesling, a Fort Lauderdale police ofcluding her identification, medicines and cellphone, she said.
“Doctors told me my jaw was not broken, but it still doesn’t move right,” said Montague, who is trying to get into a rehab program. Montague said she drifted into homelessness after a divorce and now struggles with depression. She said she understands the wisdom of homeless people protecting one another. But among people who are poor and desperate, trust is often betrayed. “On the street, you hope there is one person who has your back,” Montague said. “But you learn that even that person will steal from you.” James Jessmon, 28, who said he has been homeless off and on the past three years, said he has been beaten and robbed several times. Although he now has a restaurant job, he has no permanent place to stay, he said. When he can get a bed at a shelter — the Salvation Army, for example — he takes it; if not, he sleeps behind bushes or in an abandoned house, he said. “I’m afraid most of the time,” said Jessmon, a native of Puerto Rico. “But you can’t show it. I’m a sheep, but I have to play the wolf to survive.” Among organizations in the coalition are the Salvation Army of Broward County, Operation Sacred Trust, Broward Health’s Health Care for the Homeless, Broward 211, Women in Distress of Broward County, Henderson Behavioral Health and Broward House, Wilby said. The coalition will meet again Thursday to map out details of the education plan. For information, the task force can be reached at 954-525-3494.
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