These days, the current opioid crisis is a frequent topic in the news. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 80,000 people in the US died from an opioid-involved overdose in 2021. It would be easy to assume that statistic has no bearing on residents of the 068, but according to Chief Jerry Myers of the Ridgefield Fire Department, there were 11 emergency calls involving overdoses in town last year. “While that might not seem like a high number,” says Chief Myers, “even one is too many.”
An opioid overdose can be reversed by administering Naloxone, also known as Narcan, which works by blocking any opioid, including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioids from getting to the brain and by restoring normal respiration. “The clock is running in these emergency situations,” says Chief Myers. “In order for naloxone to work, the person must still be breathing.” Studies have shown that in majority of deaths due to overdose, someone else was present. If these bystanders had Narcan at their disposal, these deaths may have been prevented.
Once only available by prescription, over-the-counter Narcan was approved in 2023. However, the stigma surrounding drug use and overdose often prevents people from purchasing the kits. Ridgefield residents Bob and Lessley Burke, are hoping to change this by helping more people have access to this life saving drug. “We wanted to do our part to normalize the conversation around drug use and addiction and do something to make a difference in our own community. We decided this was a something we could do,” says Bob.
The couple purchased 1,000 Narcan kits from the manufacturer and have been distributing them at The Meetinghouse, a new community organization in Ridgebury, free of charge, to groups and residents of the area. “A fair amount of the people who have picked up kits know somebody or know of somebody with some sort of overdose situation,” says Bob. “A good percentage of them have kids in high school or college.”
A lot of overdoses are not necessarily connected to hardcore drug addiction, but rather the result of recreational drug use, which is prevalent even in our area. Disturbingly, drugs that are purchased off-market, such as Xanax, are sometimes being laced with fentanyl. So, an individual may think they’re taking one drug, but the unintentional results can be deadly.
The “not my kid” belief also persists, but the reality is, these things do and can happen. Kids don’t always make the best choices and sometimes it isn’t even a choice if the drug is slipped into something they’re drinking.
“Even if you think your child would never do drugs, it could be a one-off. Someone might be at a party and say, ‘why don’t you try this with me?’ – and if that pill is laced with fentanyl, your child could potentially die,” says Lessley. Both Lessley and Bob encourage parents to initiate conversations about drug use, its dangers, and the availability of Narcan, with their children.
In case of an emergency – be prepared
The kits have a shelf life of two and a half years and retail for about $40 and contain two doses, which are administered nasally. At their distribution events, the Burkes have had an EMT on site to answer questions while they are handing out the kits, which come with instructions. “You can’t misuse Narcan,” says Lessley. “The symptoms of an opioid overdose can be similar to other things – it could be something else – but if you were to administer Narcan not during an opioid overdose, you can’t harm the person.”
In general, the response in the community has been overwhelmingly positive. While some people might worry that distributing these kits opens the door to drug use, the hard truth is, people, including kids, are going to be using drugs. “There’s a realization that this is an issue that affects everyone. The way I view it is this – it’s about safety. I’m not a pyromaniac, but I have a fire extinguisher in my house. Hopefully I never need it, but one day I might have a kitchen fire and it’s good to be prepared,” says Bob.
Free Narcan kits are available at The Meetinghouse as well as at Bissell Pharmacy while supplies last. For more information, you can reach out Robert Burke at rburke@ridgeburytankers.com or Meetinghouse at https://meetinghouse.life
If you or someone you love needs help with addiction, you can call Narcotics Anonymous at 1-800-627-3543. •
