Librarians Have Become First Responders to Overdoses

How do you know when the opiate problem is completely out of control? When librarians need to know how to use Narcan. Most drug users will tell you libraries are often regarded as “safe places” to go shoot up in. They’re quiet, private and often the last place police will suspect someone is using drugs. Many addicts will seek the solace of the public restrooms within those walls to do whatever they must do to keep their problems at bay and stave off the withdrawals. Now, librarians across the nation have found themselves to be some of the first responders on the scene during an overdose.

In Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco, librarians as well as other library employees are now required to learn how to use Narcan, an opiate overdose antidote, to help the ever-flowing stream of addicted individuals who use drugs on their premises. These 3 cities, who have been hit hard by the opiate crisis, have seen a surge in a number of people overdosing in libraries. Julie Todaro, president of the American Library Association, told CNN "We have to figure out quickly the critical steps that people have to take so we can be partners in the solution of this problem."

The association is putting together a guide for librarians and other employees to help them understand opiate addiction, notice signs of intoxication and learn how to best handle it. Cities like Philadelphia have been the destination for many “drug tourists”; users who travel to different geographical locations known for having the strongest or purest drugs. Many heroin users have taken up shop in Philadelphia’s McPherson Square Park and use the public library bathroom as a “shooting gallery,” resulting in multiple overdoses. The problem became so severe the library had to be shut down temporarily last summer due to needles clogging the sewer system.

Philadelphia is one of the hardest-hit, most opiate-infested cities in the nation. In 2016, the city reported 900 fatal opiate overdoses, which is an increase of almost 30% compared to 2015. Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley told CNN, "It is among the worst public health problems we've ever seen, and it's continuing to get worse. We have not seen the worst of it yet." Narcan, the opiate reversal drug, is needed now more than ever before. The drug works by knocking opiates off the receptor sites in the brain which allows breathing and other bodily functions to be restored, stopping the overdose. Emergency responders in Philadelphia administered Narcan nearly 4,200 times last year to save people overdosing on opiates.

The opiate crisis has now gotten to the point where not only your everyday layperson needs to carry Narcan but librarians now need to administer the drug. It’s not new that drug users are using library bathrooms as safe havens to consume drugs, but due to the strength of heroin along with all the other garbage mixed in with it, overdoses are at an all-time high, causing library employees to be some of the first people on the scene when an overdose occurs. It’s important everyone gets trained to use Narcan. You never know when someone near you might need it. You could be riding the bus, shopping in the grocery store or find your loved one overdosed. If you do, it’ll be a good thing you know how to use Narcan.

For more information, call Narconon Suncoast at 877-850-7355

Sources Used

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/23/health/opioid-overdose-library-narcan/index.html