September is national recovery month — as part of “News All Day” Wellness Monday series, NY1 takes a deeper dive to increase awareness surrounding mental health and addiction recovery.
The latest numbers are startling. According to the state’s health department, almost 1200 people died of an overdose here in the city in 2019, with 100-thousand overdose deaths nationwide. And according to the CDC, one person dies from a drug overdose every five minutes in America. Some of those deaths could be prevented if the person was given a dose of Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan.
Doctor Timothy Brennan, Chief of Clinical Services for The Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, joined “News All Day” with details on the state of drug addiction in the city. He also showed how to give someone Narcan if they are overdosing.
Dr. Brennan says that if you or a family member uses drugs, it is smart to have a Narcan kit on hand. You can get them for free from the city and some pharmacies and community organizations.
Dr. Brennan teaches the three “P’s.” Peel the wrapping back, place it in the person’s nose, and push the button.
In addition, fentanyl continues to be a growing problem, leading to accidental overdoses. There are now fentanyl test strips where someone can test a drug to find out if it’s been contaminated with fentanyl before use.
NEWS ALL DAY
Helping prevent drug overdoses
PUBLISHED 4:26 PM EDT Sep. 13, 2022