NEW HAMPSHIRE — Emergency responders in New Hampshire say Narcan may not be the best weapon to fight the heroin epidemic that is sweeping the state.
Earlier this month, Portsmouth Fire Chief Steven Achilles testified before state lawmakers to lobby for a bill that he said would provide long term solutions to the drug problem.
"People believe Narcan is gonna be the single thing that fixes the problem, and some of the users are using Narcan as that safety net," Chief Achilles told FOX25.
Narcan, which helps revive victims who have overdosed on heroin, is now becoming widely available in New Hampshire, and is a part of the medical kit on every ambulance in Portsmouth.
Chief Achilles said his EMTs have used it to save the lives of more than 50 people this year, although 60 others have succumbed to overdoses.
"I think we are starting to get to a point where it's 'compassion fatigue," Chief Achilles said. "Because we see these people over and over again."
The New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs is now asking legislators to approve $1.1 million in funding that would create a statewide training manual for firefighters and EMTs on how to counsel overdose victims about drug addiction and recovery.
The money would also be used to contract substance abuse counselors for regional fire departments, who could be deployed with EMTs when they respond to an overdose, and help the victim and the victim's family talk about recovery at the hospital.
"We can get them at their most vulnerable time, but maybe at their most opportunistic time," Chief Achilles said.
Some are balking at the notion, however, that Narcan should be dismissed as a solution to the heroin problem.
"A million dollars to have drug counselors train EMTs? That doesn't equate to me," said Holly Cekala.
Cekala, an addiction specialist, runs a recovery center in Manchester, NH. Cekala said the funding could be better used to open more treatment centers or hire more substance abuse counselors statewide.
"Narcan is a very effective tool, because I like I said, you can't recover if you're dead," Cekala told FOX25.