A New Idea to save Newly Released Jailed Heroin Users

A northwest Ohio sheriff is pushing the idea of giving opioid addicts an anti-overdose drug to keep them alive.

The program suggested by Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp calls for people who are still in detox to leave jail with a kit containing naloxone, a drug that reverses overdoses. We visited Muskingum Behavioral Health on Wednesday to talk to CEO Steve Carrel about the matter.

“My opinion of this whole thing is that it’s a great idea. Guys are leaving jail, many of them are planning on not to use. A number of them will relapse if they relapse there is a chance of overdose. If they have the naloxone with them or a friend has it and they give it to a friend and the friend has the naloxone and they see them starting to overdose they can stop the overdose and save a life,” said Carrel.

Carrel said the nice thing about naloxone is that it only has an effect on a person if they have the opioid inside their body, other than that it is harmless.

“Unlike a lot of other drug trends that we have seen over the last 35 years, this one is life and death. This one has the potential of taking life more than any other drug trend I’ve seen and since we have medications like naloxone that makes all the world of a difference because people can actually be saved from an overdose and be offered the option of help,” said Carrel.

If you have any questions about heroin addiction call the Muskingum Behavioral Health at 740-562-4427.