Overdose…There’s an App for That
Where would we be without technology these days? Technology has made our lives vastly easier in a multitude of ways; they help us remember our groceries, stay in touch with our loved ones, and even control the thermostats in our houses. Everywhere you go, you’re bound to see kids with their noses in their iPads, teenagers on Tinder, and friends commenting on the newest memes on Facebook. Couples on dates are paying more attention to their phones than each other, and now family gatherings are centered around smart tv’s and home automation. I can’t remember the last time I had to memorize a phone number because everything gets stored in my Galaxy. Even though technology has separated ourselves from each other and made in-person hangouts not as fun as Google Hangouts, it still plays a vital role in the daily, normal functioning of our society.
It seems like there’s a smartphone or tablet app for absolutely anything. There’s one for banking, one for staying in touch with friends, one for mom’s recipes, and one that calculates our income taxes. Now, there’s also an app for the opiate epidemic. In the wake of the opiate problem, authorities are relying on technology to help put a dent in the overdose rates in certain areas of the country. In Wakefield, MA, police officials have developed an app that will hopefully help to reduce opiate overdoses in the area. The app will compile data every time police, fire fighters, and EMTs respond to an overdose situation. The app will collect information about where the overdose occurred, whether or not Narcan was given to the person, and if the person survived. Officials say that the app can show overdose trends and geographical hot spots so that first responders can be more prepared for future calls.
I honestly think this is a great thing. We live in a digital age where virtually our whole lives are inside of these palm-sized screens that pretty much run and organize our whole lives. While the older generations can’t understand how young people can’t keep their faces out of these devices, I think apps like this are putting technology to good use. If we can make a smartphone app to track overdoses, then by all means, we should. We should do whatever we can to reduce the overdose fatality rate so that no family ever has to endure the heartache of losing a loved one. Maybe by using this app, we can get more addicts into substance abuse treatment facilities where they can finally save their skin and take control over their lives.
