Real-time thrift vending machines launch in Deep Ellum this weekend.
Two vending machines dispensing free Narcan will be placed in bars and venues this weekend.
“Opening the conversation between parents, mentors and teachers and talking about the reality of drug use and then providing a solution is really an initiative of Deep Ellum and the Deep Ellum community,” said Veronica Young of the Deep Ellum Foundation.
By the end of the year, over 30 vending machines will be placed in Deep Ellum.
WHAT IS NARCAN?
Narcan is an over-the-counter, packaged nasal spray that contains naloxone hydrochloride, an opioid antagonist that quickly, but only temporarily, reverses an opioid overdose.
According to the manufacturer, “Narcan Nasal Spray is a prescription medication used to treat a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency with breathing problems and severe drowsiness or unresponsiveness.”
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, naloxone is an FDA-approved drug used to reverse opioid overdoses.
SAMHSA said that because naloxone is a temporary treatment, its effects don’t last long, and it’s important to get medical intervention as soon as possible after naloxone is administered or received.
Marin Wolf with The Dallas Morning New talks to NBC 5 about lifesaving training.
WHAT IS NALOXONE?
According to the National Institute of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, naloxone is a drug that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose by binding to opioid receptors and either reversing or blocking the effects of opioids.
“Naloxone can quickly restore a person’s breathing to normal when their breathing has slowed or stopped due to an opioid overdose. But naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, and it is not a treatment for opioid use disorder. Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin ), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, and morphine.
Naloxone is available in two FDA-approved forms, an injectable and a nasal spray.
Naloxone only takes 30 to 90 minutes to work, and many opioids stay in the body longer. After a dose of naloxone has passed, a person can still experience the effects of an overdose, so it is imperative that the person who overdoses call 911 or seek medical attention as soon as possible after taking the dose.
On March 29, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration approved naloxone for sale without a prescription, setting the overdose-reversal drug on course to become the first opioid drug sold over the counter.
Another drug, Opvee (nalmefene), is also an emergency nasal spray used to reverse an opioid overdose. However, Opvee is not approved for over-the-counter use and can only be obtained with a prescription. Nalmefene stays in the body longer than naloxone and may be more effective in overdoses caused by long-acting opioids, but may also cause more opioid withdrawal symptoms.
DOES FDA APPROVAL MEAN I CAN BUY NARCAN AT CVS OR WALGREENS?
Yes. Narcan is currently available over the counter at pharmacies.
Other brands of nasal sprays (RiVive) and injectables may soon be available over the counter.
WHAT IS FENTANYL?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, which is equivalent to 10-15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose.
Without laboratory tests, it is not possible to know how much fentanyl is concentrated in a tablet or powder. If you come into contact with fentanyl in any form, do not handle it and call 911 immediately.
Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat in this country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 107,622 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, with 66% of those deaths involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
Drug poisoning is the leading killer of Americans aged 18-45. Fentanyl available in the US is mainly supplied by two criminal drug networks, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
WHAT IS RAINBOW FENTANYL?
In August 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a public warning about the alarming trend of colored fentanyl being available nationwide.
The brightly colored fentanyl, dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” in the media, is seized in a variety of forms, including pills, powder and blocks resembling sidewalk chalk.
“Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl tablets and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes — is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to create addiction in children and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The men and women of the DEA are working tirelessly to stop rainbow fentanyl trafficking and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the majority of fentanyl traffic in the United States.”
Despite claims that certain dyes may be stronger than others, DEA laboratory tests do not indicate that this is the case. The DEA said that any color, shape and size of fentanyl should be considered extremely dangerous.
Drug Enforcement Administration officials warn of fentanyl in bright colors that sometimes resemble sidewalk chalk or candy.
#Free #Narcan #vending #machines #start #Deep #Ellum