The Kentucky Department for Public Health issued two alerts in Christian County after nine suspected nonfatal drug overdose Emergency Medical Services encounters occurred between Feb. 15 and Feb. 20.
The encounters were reported through the Overdose Detection Mapping Application System and “represent an unusually high number of suspected nonfatal drug overdose encounters in this period,” according to the alert.
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This alert marks the fourth nonfatal drug overdose alert issued by the Kentucky Drug Overdose Alert System since Feb. 5.
The other alerts were issued on Feb. 13 for Jefferson County after 32 suspected nonfatal drug overdose EMS encounters occurred Feb. 12 and Feb. 13; Feb. 11 in Hardin County, when eight suspected nonfatal drug overdose EMS encounters were reported between Feb. 7 and Feb. 10; and on Feb. 5 in Daviess County, when 13 suspected nonfatal drug overdose EMS encounters were reported between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4.
The Kentucky Department for Public Health offers ways to be prepared:
- Always keep naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, on hand and administer it if you suspect an overdose. Fentanyl has been found in all types of unregulated drugs, so naloxone may help regardless of the drug taken. Naloxone and other harm reduction supplies are available at local health departments. Click here to find a Syringe Service Program. Click here to find naloxone distribution sites or instructions for how to order it by mail.
- Find available treatment and recovery options for substance use disorder at FindHelpNowKY.org or call 1-833-859-4357 during business hours, or 1-800-854-6813 after business hours.
- Check in on friends, family members, neighbors and others to share this information.
- Call 911 if you suspect an overdose.
- Also, health officials advise people who use drugs not to use them alone.
This story is republished with permission from Kentucky Health News. Read the original.
Melissa Patrick is a reporter for Kentucky Health News, an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. She has received several competitive fellowships, including the 2016-17 Nursing and Health Care Workforce Media Fellow of the Center for Health, Media & Policy, which allowed her to focus on and write about nursing workforce issues in Kentucky; and the year-long Association of Health Care Journalists 2017-18 Regional Health Journalism Program fellowship. She is a former registered nurse and holds degrees in journalism and community leadership and development from UK.
