A husband and wife are setting up booths at music fests across the country to provide concertgoers with nasal naloxone with their nonprofit, This Must Be the Place.
Co-founder and chemical dependency counselor William Perry shared tips about administering the overdose reversal drug. The group will be at Sueños in Grant Park this weekend.
What Do You Teach People at Fests?
As far as administration goes, peel open the package and put it up one nostril. Turn the person on their side in case they potentially vomit. Stand back, and wait 30 seconds to three minutes to see if they wake up. Call for paramedics because this will only keep them safe for 60–90 minutes.
Other Tips for Staying Safe?
- There should always be the caretaker friend.
- Beware of using in the hot sun.
- Never use alone.
- A substance can have a non-deadly level of fentanyl, but drinking on top can have a synergistic effect that changes that.
- Never tell somebody that they should sleep it off, especially if they are showing signs of drowsiness and unresponsiveness.
How Could Efforts Like This Have Helped You?
“Nearly all of the friends I grew up [using] with are gone due to an overdose. I wish there was somebody that had a non-judgmental talk [with us] about what we were getting into. I can't go back and change that. Hopefully, we can keep that from happening in someone else's life.”
