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Opioid deaths in Nashua down to 33 in 2018, were 45 in 2017; Narcan use increases

By Adam Urquhart - Staff Writer | Jan 4, 2019

NASHUA – The number of fatalities caused by heroin, fentanyl and other opioids in the city dropped from 45 in 2017 to 33 in 2018, as officials believe the Nashua Safe Stations program and greater availability of Narcan are helping reduce the death rate.

American Medical Response Regional Director Chris Stawasz said he hopes to see the reduction in the mortality rate continue its downward trend into 2019, although there is still more work needed for this to occur. As it is, suspected opioid overdoses in the city are slightly up 4 percent when comparing numbers to the previous year. However, lives are being saved with reported public use of Narcan up 230 percent from the previous year.

“We think that the widespread distribution of Narcan, or availability of Narcan through public health networks and various pharmacies has made a tremendous impact on the mortality rate because it’s much more widely available now than it ever was before,” Stawasz said.

During the course of 2018, there were 314 suspected opioid overdoses, with 25 occurring in December. There were 33 suspected opioid overdose deaths (two additional pending), with five occurring in December.

This compares to 302 opioid related overdoses in 2017, along with 45 fatalities. In 2016, there were 361 overdoses, with 44 being fatal. Finally, in 2015, Nashua saw 256 opioid overdoses, with 26 resulting in death.

Nashua Division of Public Health and Community Services Director Bobbie Bagley agrees with Stawasz in that the availability of Narcan can be attributed to the reduction in opioid-related fatalities.

“I think that has been one of the biggest life savers, if you want to put it bluntly, making Narcan accessible to individuals when they show up to places for recovery services,” Bagley said.

The city’s syringe service and Revive Recovery offers people Narcan. Bagley said her department also provides Nashua Police Department officers with Narcan so they have it on hand when they do training. She said they do a substance use disorder language training together, with some of the focus on CPR and Narcan administration. Moreover, if agencies are not a Narcan distributor themselves, she said they can get Narcan from her office.

“That’s a big part of why we’re seeing a decrease in fatals,” Bagley said.

Aside from the increase in Narcan use, Safe Stations is another tool continuing to help put a dent in the opioid epidemic. It has now been accessed 2,559 times since its Nov. 17, 2016 inception. While predominantly utilized by area residents struggling with substance misuse, Safe Stations in the city have helped people from as far away as as San Diego, California.

“I think what’s happened is we have more awareness in our community,” Bagley said.

From city collaborators, to the various programs available, extra money coming in and also the emphasis on the Hub and Spoke Model that was implemented this week, combined together are putting us on the right track.

During Gov. Chris Sununu’s 2019 inaugural address Thursday, he highlighted the Hub and Spoke Model, now known as “The Doorway,” during his speech.

“This model will begin to take root and combined with our Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative and the newly fully funded Alcohol Fund, I have no doubt that we will continue to see our successes grow,” Sununu said during his speech. “We have created more tools to use at our disposal than ever before.”

Additionally, he said we have begun to lead and serve as a model for the nation in creating long term solutions for the substance use disorder (SUD) crisis.

“We’re hoping that the hub idea continues to provide the resources needed to support what we already have in place going forward,” Bagley said.

Moreover, she said now that officials are putting money into treatment, they need to start providing more funding for prevention. There are plans to do so in 2019 by addressing the issues that actually put people at risk for substance use disorder (SUD).

Bagley said officials will be working on more of their prevention framework development through an initiative that will be funded through The Kresge Foundation, which is a foundation that supports public health leadership. She said the city was also awarded a transformational implementation grant for $119,100 to put a project in place that will transform a particular public health issue.

“What we have chosen to focus on is our prevention efforts in addressing crises such as the opioid crisis from a prevention perspective,” Bagley said.

She said officials will develop a prevention framework with community partners who participate on the Greater Nashua Public Health Advisory Council. Officials anticipate it will take up to eight months to get the framework in place. The goal is to use the framework as they think of how to address these issues.

“It changes our role at the health department to focus as public health prevention strategists,” Bagley said.

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