Over the past few years the drug overdoses in Central Massachusetts has skyrocketed immensely. In 2014 there were 712 overdoses in the city, 25 of them resulting in death. “In my mind, 2014 became a beacon as far as awareness on the issue.” Said my father Derek Brindisi, who was the Director of Public Health in the heart of the issue. The Worcester police department reports that opioids were the leading cause of overdose ranging from prescription drugs like oxycodone, and harder drugs like heroine.

The most common drug that has resulted in overdoses is heroin. There is no telling on how pure the batch of heroin that users are consuming, what we do know is that by the time it gets from its home country drug dealers and middle men cut it. Cutting the drug makes it less pure and dealers to middle men mix it with other agents to make the weight of it the same but cheaper for street buying at a lower cost. Heroin can be cut with agents such as chalk, talcum powder, powdered milk, and caffeine. Other impurities that dealers mix into the batches are other opioids. The addition of other opioids and chemicals to the powder imply the addiction affect into drug using. Dealers add these so that users will come back for more and they make more money off the drug using public because if the harsh addiction.

"More than half of the incarcerated individuals in jail are non-violent offenders with an addiction," says State Representative Jim O’Day. "What we can do is give them the proper treatment they deserve. Some people, they commit a crime, yes, but they commit a crime because they're addicted."

Opioids have a harsh and sometimes deadly effect on the body. The chemicals when taken in a manner that is more than what has been prescribed can slow the breathing to the point of death. The “opiate overdose triad” is the combination of three symptoms that show signs of an overdose. The three are respiratory depression, unconsciousness, and pin point pupils. Researchers have also found that respiratory depression can cause long-term affects on the brain. A condition called Hypoxia is the amount of oxygen that the brain is receiving and long-term respiratory depression can end up causing permanent brain damage and even coma. What opiates are meant for is to block the pain (opioid) receptors in the body, which are usually found in the brain spinal cord and gastrointestinal tract.

The state is implementing many factors on how they can help this epidemic. One of the ways they are working on the overdose responsiveness is by outfitting the police department with Naloxone more commonly knows as Narcan. Narcan is an opioid reversal drug that has saved many lives since the allowance of it to be carried by first responders was passed in 2013. Narcan prevents or reverses the effects of opioids including respiratory depression, sedation and hypotension from drug use. It is administered by either sterile intravenous, intramuscular or by subcutaneous (nasal spray).

The Worcester Police Department (WPD) and Fire Department (WFD) have been trained and started carrying the nasal spray since the rapid increase of overdoses in the city. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is conducting a pilot program that allows the public to be able to have access to Narcan. The program is also offering training to opioid users and families, on how to prevent and recognize the signs of an overdose. The training shows people how to revive the respiratory system, when to call 9-1-1 and how to administer Narcan. How Narcan works is that it restores the normal breathing levels when sprayed into the nose. So far in Massachusetts there are more than forty distribution centers for this live saving drug. They can be found in many of the states major cities and towns where opioid overdose is on the rise 

The Massachusetts Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative (MOAPC) grant was received from the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. This grant is being used to promote four main strategies to educate the public on opioid abuse. The first topic is to promote the best practices in prescribing the medications, second is to promote proper use and storage, this topic focuses on keeping the drugs out of the reach of children and people who might be tempted to take the medication. The third strategy is to promote proper disposal including local disposal boxes and take back events, which I will talk more on throughout the paper. Fourth and finally is the education and training on overdose protection and response. The state is offering private classes to educate the public and officials on the dangers and safety precautions that need to be taken on opiate overdosing.

The city of Worcester Health Department along with other state agencies are doing to stop the rise of drug overdose related deaths in the city is implementing “take back” programs. The concept of these programs is to have the public bring in any unused, unwanted, or confiscated drugs such as opiates to places like WPD, DPH and Red Cross centers. The idea is to take, as many unneeded drugs off the streets where it could potentially cause more harm to the public unlike what they are prescribed for.

Another initiative that the city is taking is to place “needle drop boxes” in public bathrooms since public bathrooms are a common place where addicts go to get high. There were ten overdoses at the Worcester Public Library in 2014, and twelve at Worcester Union Station. This will help because now maintenance crews, police and first responders wont have to clean up the blood and needles off the bathroom floors, which could cause the risk of an accidental needle stick and blood disease exposure.

In all I believe over the next decade, the drug overdoses and deaths related to them will decrease. This will only happen if the public helps out and realize the epidemic that is happening in our city. The City officials along with the Department of Public health are taking the right measures to ensure that we are all informed and well educated on the matter. The CDC’s grants that they gifted the state will also help prolong this take back of our city, state and its citizens, also creating the proper mindset for the future; so a relapse of drug overdose outbursts does not occur again.