Saugus to receive grant money to fight opioid abuse

SAUGUS – The town will be joining 22 other communities in sharing a $600,000 state grant to aid in the ongoing battle against opioid abuse.According to the state Department of Health, the grant comes eight months after Gov. Deval Patrick declared a public health emergency on the abuse of opioids in Massachusetts. There was no indication as to how much money the town would receive.An opioid is classified as a pain-killing drug that also gives users a sense of euphoria. Such drugs include heroin, oxycontin, vicodin and fentanyl.However, Fire Chief Donald McQuaid said that the Narcan nasal spray is widely used to reverse any opioid overdose with virtually no side effects.”It’s got a very good track record,” he said.Other communities slated to receive grant money include Revere, Lynn, Malden and Chelsea. Only those communities “with high incidences of fatal opioid overdoses” were chosen for the grant.”A lot of communities are in the same boat,” said McQuaid.He said that for the past year and a half, the town has been receiving Narcan through the state’s Nasal Narcan Pilot Program. Although the program will be ending, McQuaid said the grant will allow the town to continue receiving the drug which is carried in each of the department’s vehicles.”Anything to defray the cost,” he said, adding that the cost of Narcan is approximately $30 per dose.McQuaid said that once someone has overdosed, they can die in a matter of minutes as the respiratory system will most likely shut down.”If somebody stops breathing, you have four minutes, maybe,” he said. “After four minutes, you start having cell death.”In addition to Narcan, the grant will also be used to continue funding first-response overdose training.”Education is the key,” said McQuaid, adding that anyone can be prone to an opioid addiction.”It could be the person next door, it could be someone in your own house,” he said.Jeannie Meredith of Saugus United Against Substance Abuse agreed.”Addiction does not discriminate against anyone,” she said, adding that the town needs to be more aggressive in educating students and parents.”These kids have no idea what they’re dabbling with,” said Meredith. “There are some parents who don’t even know their kids are on heroin.”Meredith said that the grant will maintain the town’s Narcan supply.”To reap the benefits of that, it’s going to be great,” she said. “That drug saves lives on a daily basis.”Police Lt. Ronald Giorgetti said that Narcan and first-response training were not supported in the town’s fiscal year 2014 budget. However, the grant will compensate for that.”This grant is going to provide us with the necessary funds to implement the training for Narcan,” he said.In addition to educating the public on opioid overdoses, Giorgetti said informative training sessions and overall awareness need to continue.”It’s a multi-prong approach,” he said.Giorgetti said the department is currently evaluating the task of training each of its 57 officers on how to administer Narcan.”We have to incorporate it into our training cycle,” he said. “It’s not something that’s going to happen immediately.”State Rep. Donald Wong said that the state was fortunate to have the grant available as Beacon Hill has sustained numerous budget cuts.”We’re grateful that Saugus has gotten this money,” he said.In addition, Wong said that the town is not any different than the other cities and towns included in the grant.”We as a community have to admit that we do have a problem,” he said.