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Aug 12, 2023

'Literally saves lives:' Naloxone machines at 3 sites

Reporter CUMBERLAND — Allegany County health officials have placed vending machines that distribute free naloxone at three locations across the county. Sold under the brand name Narcan, naloxone is a

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CUMBERLAND — Allegany County health officials have placed vending machines that distribute free naloxone at three locations across the county.

Sold under the brand name Narcan, naloxone is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

The medication is available at The Possibility Shop, 138 Baltimore St., Cumberland; outside the Frostburg Armory, 106 S. Water St., Frostburg; and inside the George’s Creek Library, 76 E. Main St., Lonaconing.

“We have, in Allegany County, the largest overdose death rate outside of Baltimore City and it is not letting up this year,” said Melissa Clark, associate director for the Maryland Area Health Education Center West. “So having naloxone readily available for folks is a huge deal. It literally saves lives.”

Clark said the locations for the vending machines were carefully chosen.

“When the health department looked at where to put them, we obviously completely agree with the locations because that is where we see a majority of the overdoses happening,” Clark said. “Our peer recovery specialists and the DART (Drug Abatement Response) Team and other folks go out in the community; we know where the hot spots are.

“A variety of locations makes it great. We need to take it a step further and get them in more outside public places” she said. “There is a lot of room for us to continue to grow.”

According to Clark, AHEC West distributed about 5,000 doses of naloxone over the past 27 months.

“It is a big problem, bigger than ever,” she said. “It’s not slowing down.”

Prescription opioids such as oxycontin and Percocet are not the major issue they were in the past, according to Clark.

“They’re not even a factor anymore, it’s fentanyl. It’s not the prescription drugs or heroin. And the substances mixed with the (fentanyl) are pretty scary, like xylazine,” she said.

Also known as “Tranq,” xylazine is a powerful sedative the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved for veterinary use.

“The drug dealers are making a much larger profit with fentanyl,” said Clark. “It’s the fentanyl and xylazine and it’s an animal tranquilizer.”

Clark said naloxone can reverse an overdose of fentanyl but not xylazine.

“This problem is hitting all ages and all economic demographics,” added Clark. “It doesn’t discriminate. There are people from super wealthy families to super poor families and every color in the rainbow. It’s not changing and it’s pretty scary.”

Clark said naloxone can save people who accidentally overdose such as the elderly or people who may have just had a surgery.

“You should always have the naloxone with you,” she said. “You never know when you may need it. You can be walking down the street and need to use it.”

Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4951, email [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @GregLarryCTN.

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