To face the the circumstance of Malcolms death is one of the hardest things to do, his passing was a tragedy, and unfortunately one that the state and the entire country sees too often. Overdose deaths in Colorado from fentanyl went from five in 2000 to 540 in 2020, according to Colorado Department. Colorados preliminary data for 2021 shows the fatal overdoses will be pushing 800 cases. This is not meant to add him to the statics as just a number but to realize what each of those numbers mean. We all too often hear the numbers and the stats but sometimes don't truly think about them. Behind each and everyone of those numbers is a community of people that is facing the same pain and hardships as we are with the loss of a loved one. So as a community that cares so deeply about one another how can we help to prevent this from continuing. Below I will attach in depth some resources that can help.
Prevention
Naloxone/Narcan -Narcan also known as naloxone is a drug used to reverse over doses due to drugs such as narcotics, heroin and some other perscription medications, it is usually sold as a nasal spray but can also be administered using a needle. Below are some order forms to receive Naloxone delivered free. Naloxone is also available for purchase at places with any over the counter pharmacies. Naloxone although it may be very effective in reversing overdoses, should not be the first line of defense in preventing an overdose
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Fentanyl Test Strips- If you or people you know are going to take drugs of any kind it is essential to test them, using drugs such as opiates, MDMA, heroin and cocaine can result in overdoses when the user takes too much or mixes certain drugs although this is a huge concern more 60% of all overdoses in the last 20 years are due to fentanyl in specific. Fentanyl test strips are fairly cheep and can be purchased online from places like Amazon or locally at any smoke/headshop.
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What to do if you witness an overdose- once you have came to the conclusion that someone around you may be going into overdose and you do not have Naloxone the first step is to immediately call 911 and place the person into the recovery position (lay the person on their left side) in most cases if you call 911 they will walk you through what to do next, if you are qualified preform cpr on the person overdosing, if their skin is blue and they dont seem to be breathing preform mouth to mouth. DO NOT leave the person until medical assistance has arrived.