A Guide for Reducing Opioid Overdose During the Summer Months
Background
The pervasiveness of fentanyl in the illicit drug supply has contributed to an unprecedented number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses throughout the nation. Unfortunately, Ocean County, New Jersey has felt and witnessed fentanyl’s detrimental effects, as the culture of drug use continues to shift and evolve. To
bring awareness to this very serious public health concern and prevent fatalities, the Ocean County Health Department, in collaboration with various influential community stakeholders, have developed the Ocean County Overdose Response Plan. Through the implementation of various prevention strategies, the overarching goal of the Ocean County Overdose Response Plan is to wrap support around those with substance use disorder to prevent and reduce overdose fatalities and save lives.
While performing daily monitoring of Ocean County overdose data for the year 2022, it had been identified that specifically during the summer months of May through August, prime, high-travel tourist locations, such as Seaside Heights and Long Beach Island, are seeing increased overdose activity. In Long Beach Island, there has been a 50% increase in overdose cases for the past two years from May 1 through August 31. Additionally, Narcan administrations have also increased by 50% over the last two years. These recognizable increases initiated important conversations with key community stakeholders to gain further insight as to what is being witnessed in these municipalities.
Anecdotal evidence has suggested that individuals in high tourism locations are frequently overdosing in public places, such as local convenience stores, libraries restaurants and bars. Through various correspondence with local and federal partners, many popular travel destinations experience higher than usual overdose activity during the summer months. The question remains as to whether or not these individuals overdosing are residents of Ocean County or visiting from another geographic location. Regardless, prompt action must be taken in these high burden areas to reduce overdose and save lives. Commonalities for overdose in high tourism municipalities include youth engaging in risk behaviors at local parks at night, counterfeit prescription pills, lack of safe family community events, the lack of availability of Narcan in high traffic public locations where overdoses commonly occur, lack of education, amongst various other reasons.
The Summer Spike Strategy Toolkit will include actionable items for various public entities to implement at their respective location such as: performing frequent checks of public restrooms, the availability and accessibility of Narcan along with proper training and education, the dissemination of a fentanyl
awareness media campaigns to raise awareness, providing local bars, restaurants and convenience stores with information and resources relating to overdose and substance use.
The Summer Spike Strategy Toolkit will include actionable items for various public entities to implement at their respective location such as: performing frequent checks of public restrooms, the availability and accessibility of Narcan along with proper training and education, the dissemination of a fentanyl awareness media campaigns to raise awareness, providing local bars, restaurants and convenience stores with information and resources relating to overdose and substance use.
TAKE ACTION WITH US! GET NARCAN!
View the full PDF here: https://www.ochd.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Summer-Spike-Toolkit-Document-15.pdf
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