Firefighters using Narcan significantly more to reverse heroin overdoses

A drug that reverses the effects of heroin overdoses is being administered significantly more than in years past.

Pueblo firefighters say they’ve given three times as many doses of Narcan this year than in 2008. So far this year, they’ve administered it at least 140 times, compared to 40 times in 2008.

Capt. Steve Cervi said firefighters have found heroin users passed out in alleys, even inside of bathrooms at fast-food restaurants.

Firefighters have been carrying Narcan in their firetrucks for decades. Cervi said they’re administering Narcan a lot more in recent years, because heroin is more accessible, it’s cheap and it’s a quick high. Narcan can be injected into the users’ bloodstream or sprayed up their nose. Cervi said it’s a drug that can literally revive someone, in seconds, who’s unconscious.

“I’ve had several patients where we actually pull the needle out of their arms when we get there, because they injected, they go unconscious, and it’s still stuck there,” Cervi said. “We arrive, and we have syringes to contend with laying all over the floor.”

Just because firefighters used Narcan on a patient does not mean they’ve overdosed on heroin, but most of the time that is the case. Sometimes, the patient could become unconscious for other medical reasons, but firefighters say the drug doesn’t have any harmful side effects.

“These people look [like] they’re very close to death, and they look dead, and we give them some Narcan, whatever type of dose we give them at the time, and they snap out of it,” Cervi said.