CARROLL COUNTY, Md. — Peer support, It's a term you hear a lot associated with opioid abuse treatment.
Well, that's just one reason Carroll County officials say they've seen a reduction over the last two years in overdose deaths throughout the county.
We went up there to speak with Dr. Robert Wack. He's the Deputy Health Officer with the county health department. He said another reason for the reduction in opioid-related deaths is the availability of Narcan, otherwise known as naloxone.
Two years ago, they worked with several partners like police and EMS to make sure the overdose reversal drug was available when needed.
He said the community has become more accepting of various harm reduction techniques like using Narcan when it's appropriate. I asked him precisely who sees this strategy as a good thing.
"Drug users definitely. I think there's a perception that this actually works and that it helps save lives. But also a lot of our community partners are seeing the advantages." He said they distribute a lot of Narcan through a variety of community partners.
"But the key thing with harm reduction is that we're trying to do things to keep people alive so that they have more opportunities to engage in effective services to help get them treatment and get them off drugs."
The public library is one of the places Naloxone kits are available for free. If someone is overdosing all you need to do is access one of these kits and scan a QR code. It will lead you to an instructional video on how to safely administer aid.
If you are interested in more numbers relating to the opioid crisis in Carroll County and across the state, you can access data dashboards through the following links:
