SPECTRUM: Hope is in the air

As of Dec. 1, the “unofficial count” of opioid overdoses for Alaska stands at 75. Unfortunately, there has been an increase in fentanyl deaths that match national trends. Fentanyl is 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine. It is still too early to say if we might have a decline of opioids overdoses for the year 2017 compared to last year. Lets hope and pray.

Again, unofficially, I believe there are some possible factors that could be contributing to this decline. First, last February, Governor Walker issued a “Disaster Declaration on the Opioid Epidemic.” (one of six other states) This disaster declaration established a statewide overdose response program called “Project Hope.” Since that declaration, over 7,000 Narcan Kits (antidote to an opioid overdose) have been distributed across the state. Now, as Dr. Jay Butler, Chief Medical Officer, has stated, “Narcan is not treatment, but like a tourniquet. It will save a life of a suffering addict and hopefully then, they get into recovery.”

Besides Narcan Kits, the state has provided free “Medication Disposal Bags.” These bags hold up to 40 opioids (opioids have an imperishable shelf life!) Next, pour in a cup of water and with the charcoal element inside the bag, it will neutralize the opioids. Then, you can throw it into the trash, safely. These bags can be obtained from many local pharmacies, clinics and hospice. MyHouse provides both Narcan Kits, Narcan training and bags.

We have to remember that 90 percent of all new heroin users started with pain pills. And, 80 percent of them obtained those pills from friends, family and grandparents. Please secure your pain pills and “Not sharing Is Caring!” (an Alaskan P.S.A. you may have heard or viewed?!)

This past spring, the Governor’s Opioid Bill was passed for our state. I believe the most important legislative amendment of this bill was the seven day initial supply of opioids. At the same time this spring, the University of Arkansas medical studies found from their research, after a 10-day supply of opioids, the individual will have a 20 percent chance of becoming a long term user. A 30-day supply of Percocet would have the result of a 50-50 chance of becoming a long-term user. Most of the public underestimates how powerful and addictive opioids can be for anyone.

I hope maybe that the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force’s “Lazarus Project” has had an impact on this decline. The Lazarus Project is an ambulatory, non-narcotic protocol to safely detox from opioids. This protocol utilizes the ‘Bridge Device,’ which reduces opioid withdrawals up to 90 percent. The Mat-Su Health Foundation provided 25 Bridge devices through a “Wellness Grant.” Then, the detoxed individual will have a Vivitrol (Naltrexone) injection. Vivitrol is a non-addictive, once a month treatment proven to prevent relapse.

Also, this protocol has a ‘peer to peer’ navigation component. (those that have suffered are reaching back to those still suffering.) Those peer to peer navigators (Fiend2Clean and FallenUpMinistries) can gain the trust of those fearful of a very uncomfortable detox process and flip that script using the Bridge, comfort meds and the Vivitrol injection for the suffering addict.

There were three Mat-Su treatment agencies involved in the protocol. Alaska Family Services, Akeela, and Set Free Alaska provided the psycho-social treatment component for the Lazarus Project. This protocol had warm hand-offs from first meetings with the suffering addicts, gaining their trust, to Mat-Su Regional E.R. or Algone Clinic placing the Bridge device on the client, the Vivitrol injection and then, followed up with one of the treatment providers. This project had a 68 percent success rate for clients having the Bridge device on for five days, (detoxing) two days of comfort medication and receiving a Vivitrol injection on the seventh day.

This collaborative partnership with a local funder, peer-to-peer groups, the medical providers, and treatment agencies ensured suffering addicts had an ambulatory, non-narcotic chance for detox. The Lazarus Project made the difference in client lives and maybe saved some lives. Hopefully, this protocol might have had an impact on the decline of fatal opioid overdoses in our state and, at the same time, improved the quality of lives for those clients.

As the Chair of the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force, it was an honor and privilege to be part of this new and exciting protocol. We hope to continue this project with additional partners and provide a safe detox process with an ultimate outcome of improving one’s quality of life with many paths of recovery. ( treatment, 12 Step, family, church and/or a supportive community of friends)

And, I want to acknowledge all the other coalitions, churches, law enforcement agencies, clinics, medical and treatment providers across the state that are in the good fight of saving and improving lives. This will take all of us to end of opioid use and abuse. The C.D.C. has predicted that over the next 10 years, there will be 650,000 overdoses. That is almost the entire population of Alaska. We cannot let that happen. It will take everyone from every sector, may it be government, private and faith-based, to turn back the tide and provide safe harbor for suffering Alaskans.

# LessDopeMoreHope

Michael P. Carson is the Vice President and a Recovery Specialist at MyHouse and Chair of the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force.