Live vending machines launch this weekend in Deep Ellum.
Two vending machines dispensing free Narcan will be placed in bars and venues this weekend.
“Opening the dialogue between parents and counselors and teachers and talking about the realities of drug use, and then providing a solution is really what Deep Ellum and the Deep Ellum community is all about,” said Veronica Young with the Deep Ellum Foundation.
By the end of the year, more than 30 vending machines will be placed throughout Deep Ellum.
What is NARCAN?
Narcan is a prepackaged nasal spray containing naloxone hydrochloride, an opioid antagonist that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, but only temporarily.
According to the manufacturer, “Narcan Nasal Spray is a prescription drug used to treat a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency with breathing problems and signs of severe drowsiness or unresponsiveness.”
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, naloxone is an FDA-approved drug used to reverse an opioid overdose.
SAMHSA said that because naloxone is a temporary treatment, its effects do not last long, and it is critical to seek medical intervention as soon as possible after administering or ingesting naloxone.
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What is NALOXONE?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health, naloxone is a drug that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by binding to opioid receptors and reversing or blocking the effects of opioids.
“If breathing has slowed or stopped due to an opioid overdose, naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing. However, naloxone has no effect on someone without opioids and is not a treatment for opioid use disorder. Examples of opioids include heroin, These include fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, and morphine.
Naloxone comes in two FDA-approved forms, an injectable and a nasal spray.
Naloxone only takes 30 to 90 minutes to work, and most opioids stay in the body longer than that. Because a person can still experience the effects of an overdose after a dose of naloxone is finished, it is imperative to call 911 or seek medical attention for the overdosed person as soon as possible after the dose is administered.
On March 29, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of naloxone without a prescription, making the overdose reversal drug the first opioid treatment drug sold over the counter.
A different drug, Opvee (nalmefene), is an emergency nasal spray used to reverse an opioid overdose. Opvee, however, is not approved for over-the-counter use and is only available with a prescription. Nalmefene stays in the body longer than naloxone and may be more effective for overdoses caused by long-acting opioids, but it can also come with opioid withdrawal symptoms.
Does FDA approval mean I can buy NARCAN at CVS or WALGREENS?
yes Narcan is currently available over the counter at pharmacies.
Other nasal sprays (RiVive) and vaccines will soon be available over the counter.
What is FENTANYL?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, equivalent to 10-15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose.
Without laboratory testing, there is no way to know how much fentanyl is concentrated in a pill or powder. If you find any form of fentanyl, do not handle it and call 911 immediately.
Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 107,622 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, and 66% of those deaths involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
Drug addiction is the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Fentanyl available in the United States is mainly supplied by two criminal drug networks, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
What is Rainbow Fentanyl?
In August 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a public advisory regarding the alarming emerging trend of colored fentanyl across the country.
Dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” in the media, the brightly colored fentanyl is seized in a variety of forms, including pills, powder and chunks resembling sidewalk chalk.
“Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powders that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes — is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction among children and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The men and women of the DEA are working relentlessly to stop fentanyl trafficking and defeat the Mexican drug traffickers who are responsible for the vast majority of fentanyl trafficked in the United States.”
Although claims are made that certain colors may be stronger than others, DEA’s laboratory tests have shown no indication that this is the case. Every color, shape and amount of fentanyl should be considered extremely dangerous, the DEA said.
Drug Enforcement Administration officials warn that fentanyl sometimes shows up on sidewalks in bright colors like chalk or candy.
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