U.S. - It's Proven To Save Lives, So Why Is Maine Opposed To Narcan?

[S.J.B.]

It's Proven To Save Lives, So Why Is Maine Opposed To Narcan?
Susan Sharon
NPR
February 16th, 2014

Dr. Lynn Ouellette, a psychiatrist from Brunswick, Maine, asks herself "What if?" a lot these days. What if they had found her son just a few minutes earlier? What if they had gotten him to the hospital sooner?

What if they'd had the overdose antidote Narcan in the house?

"What we know is that this saves lives and it gives addicts another chance," she says.

Her son, Brendan Keating, 22, had struggled with addiction. He'd been in and out of rehab and tried other types of treatment. But Ouellette says she constantly worried that her exuberant, fun-loving, big-in-the-world clown-of-the-family would harm himself or someone else.

On Dec. 13, her worst fears came true. Keating was found in the family basement, in respiratory distress from an overdose. He later died at the hospital.

Read the full story here.

 

[BlueHues]

Wow, I just can't believe this!

First off, shame on you James Bradshaw, director of "Maine's Emergency Medical Services"...It's unbelievable that the director of all the EMTs in the state of Maine that respond to overdose situations, would be opposed to naloxone being made available to anyone who thinks they may need it!

He cites the fact that regular people aren't equipped to deal with the withdrawal symptoms that the person receiving this lifesaving drug will suffer when the drug is administered to them. He mentions "nausea, vomiting, cardiac arrest"...Hmmm, lat time I checked "being fucking dead" was the worst thing on the list?!

We are talking about a life and death situation, where that little vial is the only thing standing between the person overdosing and death! And you can honestly say to me that you think the negatives outweigh the positives with making naloxone available?!


I think you're a liar and a sleaze of the worst kind Bradshaw...and I'll tell you why!!

In many places, the first responders that drive the ambulances are working for private, for profit companies, not the Fire dept. or the hospital!! I'm not sure if that's the case in Maine with "Emergency Medical Services", but it wouldn't surprise me one bit! Even if it's not, your motives are highly suspect...

Responding to overdoses makes up a large portion of the calls EMTs respond to. If people had narcan on hand, profits might go down...maybe even less first responders would be needed and a few people may get laid off!

I'm not sure whether Bradshaw is motivated by profit or job-security in his quest to keep this lifesaving drug out of the public's hands, but I can tell you that it's definitely not common sense or the lives of others!

He'd rather see hundreds of lives lost than a few jobs or dollars! Pretty much identical to the prison guard's unions that lobby to keep everything highly illegal and the punishments harsh! Just keep the prisons full and the overtime checks rolling in! You're a despicable human being Bradshaw!

The Governor is just as shameful, his reason for not wanting people to have Narcan available is:

"It will give addicts a false sense of security!"

What a fucking ignorant little weasel this guy is! So, hundreds of people dying is fine, as long as nobody is walking around with a "false sense of security"!

Does this man realize how badly this reflects on his ability to think through the most basic no-brainers?! Simply unbelievable!

"Death before false sense of security!"....Maine's new state motto!

 

[spacejunk]

I know that a lot of ambulances stopped carrying Narcan in the 1990s in Australia due to the violence some addicts were prone to in having their "fix" "ruined"
Having said that, it is only one side if the coin. It's a life of death matter - and all considerations aside, should be made available to users and relevant parties, especially in an epidemic situation where lots of people are dying.

 

[neversickanymore]

Email the Governor's Office

Contact
Office of the Governor
#1 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0001
Phone
207-287-3531
TTY: Maine relay 711 (for Deaf and hard of hearing)
Fax
207-287-1034

there is another article on this pinned to this one.. http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads...r-the-Use-of-Naloxone?p=12149007#post12149007

Governor [email protected]


to me
Thank you for taking the time to contact me. This message is to confirm that my office has received your email and will be taking appropriate steps for follow-up.

Comments and Requests for Assistance

Your ideas and suggestions are important to me. Depending on the nature of your issue, your message may be assigned to one of my designees for direct follow-up with you. My staff and I are committed to providing you with a timely response to your issues and concerns.

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Stay Informed

For news and information on issues and upcoming events, please visit my web site at: www.maine.gov/governor

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Sincerely,

 

[BlueHues]

^I respect what you're doing, and agree with sending emails to politicians and other elected and appointed officials to express your opinion on a personal level....However, something about posting people's contact info. makes me a little nervous, especially the ones you've posted involving LE agencies...I know how emotional some of these articles make us, but drawing unwanted negative attention to BL is a bad idea IMO...

Also, I hope that in the email you sent the governor and in the other emails you sent to whomever, that you didn't provide a link back to the threads where we were discussing the articles they were in...This would probably be construed as you claiming to be a "representative of BL", and almost as if the opinion you were expressing was the official stance that BL took on the issue...Even if most people on BL agree with you concerning these issues, it just seems like trouble to me...

I love your posts and all the contributions you make,so don't take this personally...I know your heart's in the right place....

 

[neversickanymore]

I dont link the threads back as i think it would not be in the best interest of the cause or Bluelight. If we ever realized how powerful we are and banded together and demanded the human and civil treatment of our own we literally would be one of the most powerful bodies in the states and the world. They dont want us to realize this. they want us to remain afraid and ashamed: because then they can remain exploiting us. I am in a unique position.. as I'm a do not do anything against the law and I'm no longer afraid of anything they can do (im not stupid I know that not breaking the law affords me little or no safe haven). But I made my line in the sand. So I am able to throw down. I have felt ashamed and scared for so long.. not any more.. fuck them they are the ones who should be afraid. As soon as we stop hiding and stand up for ourselves we win.. the blacks did it.. women did it.. homesexuals did it.. time to start fighting and stop hiding. That being said I don't take the safety of others lightly.

 

[BlueHues]

Okay, as long as you're not linking them back here in your emails, I have no problem with it...still makes me a little nervous, but it's public info. I guess

 

[neversickanymore]

Please dont think Im being a dick blue but thats the way they want you to feal.. nervous, like you are a bad person and are not worthy and better hide. Not judging just saying.

 

[BlueHues]

No, its cool man, I just don't think getting BL directly involved with cops and politicians is a good idea, but you're not doing that...I admire you for trying to actually take steps to change things!

 

[RTrain]

I know that a lot of ambulances stopped carrying Narcan in the 1990s in Australia due to the violence some addicts were prone to in having their "fix" "ruined"
Having said that, it is only one side if the coin. It's a life of death matter - and all considerations aside, should be made available to users and relevant parties, especially in an epidemic situation where lots of people are dying.

Too many emergency medical personnel who don't know when to give it. So many think they are liberty to just give it to whomever they feel has gotten too "high". There are guidelines in place for when it is appropriate to give and way too often the EMS personnel do not follow these guidelines.

Let me give an example. A junkie is nodding off in some public place. 911 is called, police, ambulance arrive. Police search and if they find anything confiscate it, but don't want to arrest (happens very often, they don't want more work) so they make the person go up to the hospital in the ambulance and be checked out, to cover their ass. Person is blasted but mumbling answers to questions and able to walk with assistance. Once they get in the back of the ambulance the EMS providers decide they should give the person naloxone to "bring them out of it" even though it isn't in their protocol. Then bam the person is now in withdrawal and there was no reason for it. This happens way, way too often. Legit, someone I know wrote about how they did it to a person on heroin just the other day. It happens so much that the paramedics think its alright to admit to it on facebook! That is a problem.

 

[pmoseman]

Wow, I just can't believe this!

First off, shame on you James Bradshaw, director of "Maine's Emergency Medical Services"...It's unbelievable that the director of all the EMTs in the state of Maine that respond to overdose situations, would be opposed to naloxone being made available to anyone who thinks they may need it!

He cites the fact that regular people aren't equipped to deal with the withdrawal symptoms that the person receiving this lifesaving drug will suffer when the drug is administered to them. He mentions "nausea, vomiting, cardiac arrest"...Hmmm, lat time I checked "being fucking dead" was the worst thing on the list?!

We are talking about a life and death situation, where that little vial is the only thing standing between the person overdosing and death! And you can honestly say to me that you think the negatives outweigh the positives with making naloxone available?!


I think you're a liar and a sleaze of the worst kind Bradshaw...and I'll tell you why!!

In many places, the first responders that drive the ambulances are working for private, for profit companies, not the Fire dept. or the hospital!! I'm not sure if that's the case in Maine with "Emergency Medical Services", but it wouldn't surprise me one bit! Even if it's not, your motives are highly suspect...

Responding to overdoses makes up a large portion of the calls EMTs respond to. If people had narcan on hand, profits might go down...maybe even less first responders would be needed and a few people may get laid off!

I'm not sure whether Bradshaw is motivated by profit or job-security in his quest to keep this lifesaving drug out of the public's hands, but I can tell you that it's definitely not common sense or the lives of others!

He'd rather see hundreds of lives lost than a few jobs or dollars! Pretty much identical to the prison guard's unions that lobby to keep everything highly illegal and the punishments harsh! Just keep the prisons full and the overtime checks rolling in! You're a despicable human being Bradshaw!

The Governor is just as shameful, his reason for not wanting people to have Narcan available is:

"It will give addicts a false sense of security!"

What a fucking ignorant little weasel this guy is! So, hundreds of people dying is fine, as long as nobody is walking around with a "false sense of security"!

Does this man realize how badly this reflects on his ability to think through the most basic no-brainers?! Simply unbelievable!

"Death before false sense of security!"....Maine's new state motto!

Cardiac arrest is essentially death. Temporary cardiac arrest is not, but violent seizures can lead to death and so can aspirating vomit. A false sense of security can kill. Just pointing that out.

 

[23536]

Does anybody want to make an argument about why naloxone shouldn't be sold openly and prominently, like next to People magazine in supermarkets?

 

[spacejunk]

Not I, sir.

Rtrain - certainly dont agree with that sort of shit, and see why people get very, very agitated. Merely an example of the argument used where I reside.
Full-antagonists need to be used extremely judiciously - but that shouldn't mean restricting availability. That's insane.

 

[_DankOpiAmp_]

Too many emergency medical personnel who don't know when to give it. So many think they are liberty to just give it to whomever they feel has gotten too "high". There are guidelines in place for when it is appropriate to give and way too often the EMS personnel do not follow these guidelines.

Let me give an example. A junkie is nodding off in some public place. 911 is called, police, ambulance arrive. Police search and if they find anything confiscate it, but don't want to arrest (happens very often, they don't want more work) so they make the person go up to the hospital in the ambulance and be checked out, to cover their ass. Person is blasted but mumbling answers to questions and able to walk with assistance. Once they get in the back of the ambulance the EMS providers decide they should give the person naloxone to "bring them out of it" even though it isn't in their protocol. Then bam the person is now in withdrawal and there was no reason for it. This happens way, way too often. Legit, someone I know wrote about how they did it to a person on heroin just the other day. It happens so much that the paramedics think its alright to admit to it on facebook! That is a problem.

One time on a show like cops or something they did it to a guy sleeping in his car on dope after searching him. They were total cunts to him, not giving him any slack despite just putting him in withdrawal and he was finally arrested for putting his hands in his recently searched pockets for warmth because they narcan had made them deathly cold.

 

[23536]

One time on a show like cops or something they did it to a guy sleeping in his car on dope after searching him. They were total cunts to him, not giving him any slack despite just putting him in withdrawal and he was finally arrested for putting his hands in his recently searched pockets for warmth because they narcan had made them deathly cold.

This is why I cannot watch Cops.

 

[spacejunk]

^ It's sadistic propaganda innit?

 

[BlueHues]

Seizures and cardiac arrests can hardly be called "common side effects" of naloxone, and the number of lives that would be saved would far outweigh the few fluke negative events that may occur going forward...

Unless anyone wants to make the argument that naloxone will kill more people than it saves....but we all know that's ridiculous...

This would be like saying, "Non medical professionals shouldn't perform chest compressions on someone who's stopped breathing and requires CPR, because done incorrectly, they may crack a rib!"

Of course, when your dead, you're not gonna need that rib anyway!

Honestly, are there really people in Maine thinking, "Wow, if they make naloxone available to the public, I'm gonna start recklessly using opiates, because even if I OD, everything will be fine..."?

 

[spacejunk]

It's a bit like that argument of people using abortions as birth control - utterly preposterous and illogical.

 

[_DankOpiAmp_]

If you can go into normal withdrawal without getting a seizure or having cardiac arrest you are unlikely to have it happen when narcan'd. You would have to be fragile and on death's door anyway. Only the more sudden onset of withdrawal would increase the risk because it isn't doing anything new.

 

[TheRapperGoneBad]

This is sad its clear this guy doesn't care about addicts.

Hell maybe some do get a lil out of it when being sent straight to with drawl but that doesn't mean all users should be left to die, its beyond me how the government has developed such a careless attitude to its own people. This saves lives especially in regions that get powder dope.

And to the whole side effects bs I doubt that ever happens. Not saying its not possible but there would have to other factors such as heart disease or just a massive habit either way they will just die with out the help of the narcan. I would definitely be down for the shot.

Never sick I think its awesome how you voice your opinion to these people what other way can we really begin to get change towards such demonized topics. Keep up the good fight brotha.