PRR – First Responders – Drug Crisis

In order to prepare for the drug crisis , first responders have to understand the people at risk and the types of drugs that are causing the crisis.

The drug crisis is impacting people in all demographics, including teenagers, seniors-citizens, and the LGBTQ community. The drug crisis in the US is driven by the increased usage of the drug type labeled as opioids. Many prescription opioids are used to block pain signals between the brain and the body and are typically prescribed as painkillers. However, the abuse of opioids is due to it making individuals feel “high”. ​The highly addictive nature of these pain relievers makes people want to consume more but because of the high cost of prescription opioids, individuals often use cheaper and higher dosage forms that are more accessible.

Examples of common Opioids include:

● Codeine
● Demerol
● Dilaudid
● Fentanyl
● Heroin
● Hydrocodone ● Methadone

● Morphine ● Oxycodone ● Tramadol

The first responders who are more closely working with the drug crisis are EMS (Emergency Medical Services), specifically paramedic services, who arrive at the scenes of drug overdoses and come into contact with the individuals who are suffering from the drug crisis.

In order to prepare for the drug crisis, EMS have to be able to identify and connect the biological reaction that a person is having at a medical scene to a drug overdose. First responders have to be prepared and notice signs such as :

• –  Unconsciousness or inability to awaken.

• –  Slow or shallow breathing or breathing difficulty such as choking sounds or a

  gurgling/snoring noise from a person who cannot be awakened.

• –  Fingernails or lips turning blue/purple.

  In terms of safety preparation for a drug crisis, there are no known confirmed cases of opioid toxicity through skin or respiratory contact with synthetic opioids among first responder personnel who responded to a scene.