HULL — Plymouth County Outreach (PCO) Advisory Board Member and Hull Police Chief John Dunn reports that Hull has experienced a spike in overdoses in the last week.
PCO and its partners want the public, especially individuals at risk for overdose and their families and friends, to be aware of the increased risk of an overdose and what action you can take.
Know how to recognize the signs of an overdose:
- Breathing is very slow and shallow, erratic or has stopped
- Face becomes very pale or clammy
- Cool, clammy skin
- Choking sounds or a gurgling noise (referred to as the death rattle)
- Vomiting
- Pulse (heartbeat) is slow, erratic or has stopped
- Blue or grey skin tinge, depending on the individual’s complexion – usually lips and fingers show first, sometimes in tips of ears
- Passing out
- Body becomes very limp
In the event of an overdose, call 911.
Life saving measures to reverse an overdose:
Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. Narcan saved lives 94% of the time when administered in Plymouth County last year.
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, Narcan is available:
- Your local pharmacy has an open/standing prescription for everyone. This means you can go to your pharmacy to ask for Narcan. The cost will be whatever your insurance co-pay is.
- By calling the Hull Police Department and asking to speak with a Plymouth County Outreach Officer or by calling the PCO office at (508) 830-4218, extension 261
- The Anchor of Hull Recovery Center by calling (781)-534-9327 or emailing theanchor@northst.org
If you or a loved one is at-risk of an overdose and looking to access treatment please reach out to the Hull Police Department and ask to speak with a Plymouth County Outreach Officer. You can also contact PCO through the connect page on its website: plymouthcountyoutreach.org/connect , through any of its social media platforms or by calling the PCO voicemail box at (508) 830-4218, extension 261.
Treatment, support and hope are available throughout the county and region, via these resources and organizations:
- Brockton Champion Plan http://opioidoverdoseprevention.org/bmoocp/champion-plan/
- PCO HOPE https://www.pcohope.org/
- The Anchor of Hull theanchorofhull.org
- Scituate South Shore Peer Recovery Center http://www.southshorepeerrecovery.com/
- Brockton Area Prevention Collaborative http://opioidoverdoseprevention.org/bmoocp/overdose/
- Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline: 800-327-5050 or https://helplinema.org/
Plymouth County Outreach has recovery coaches on-call seven days a week. Recovery Coaches are there to support those in need, talk, listen, assist in accessing treatment, provide resources, assist in scheduling appointments and more.
PCO now has ZOOM office hours Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. Zoom link: http://tinyurl.com/PCORecovery
- Meeting ID: 768 7736 8867
- Thursdays at 2 p.m. Zoom link: http://tinyurl.com/PCORecovery2
- Meeting ID: 712 0247 6905
Safeguard your home:
Any unused prescription medications can be disposed of at drug take back boxes in the lobby of your local police departments or Beth Israel Deaconess- Plymouth at no cost to you. No questions asked.
9-1-1 Make the Call. Save a Life:
Massachusetts has the Good Samaritan Law, passed in 2007, which encourages someone who witnesses an overdose to seek help by protecting the caller and the person who overdosed from arrest and prosecution for drug possession. The goal is to protect people so they are not afraid to involve emergency services (911) as soon as possible.
The Plymouth County Police Chiefs, District Attorney and Sheriff created a PCO Good Samaritan Law PSA, click here to view video.
PCO recommends the following strategies for those affected by substance use disorders to reduce the harm caused by those substances:
- Don’t use alone
- Use slowly
- Test a small amount first to check the potency
- Carry Narcan
For more information on harm reduction strategies, click here.
PCO and the Hull Police Department are aware that this is a difficult time for everyone and that many people rely on their community to sustain their recovery, and that even in these unprecendented circumstances, no one is alone. Please see this list of available resources during the covid-19 pandemic.
The Anchor of Hull |Facebook: The Anchor of Hull | theanchorofhull.org
- On call Recovery Coaches and Community Support Team (Willing to help all individuals, not just those in recovery.)
- Daily Wellness Check Ins on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81788195423?pwd=TzRSV2RKREhPMkpwNXd2THEzQmVGUT09
- Meeting ID: 817 8819 5423
- Password: Text/Call or email for password
- Email: theanchor@northst.org or hullpastor@northst.org
- Phone: 781-534-9327
- The Anchor of Hull will soon be adding more fun zoom events to help members of the community stay engaged.
Online/Zoom meetings of all kinds, including South Shore Sober Serenity on Facebook.
Faith Based Zoom Meeting:
- Monday Night Bible Study : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/91731161670
- Meeting ID: 917 3116 1670
Manet Community Health Center: 781-925-4550
Wellspring Multi-Service Center: 781-925-3211
The Scituate South Shore Peer Recovery Center continues to help the community and host meetings remotely. http://www.southshorepeerrecovery.com/
More about Plymouth County Outreach:
Plymouth County Outreach (PCO) is a collaboration of all 27 municipal police departments in the county, as well as Bridgewater State University Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Department, along with dozens of partners from healthcare, substance use disorder treatment organizations, the recovery community, faith-based groups, local substance use coalitions, concerned citizens and the region’s hospitals.
PCO’s Project Coordinator, Vicky Butler, continues to keep the public updated through the PCO’s social media accounts: Facebook @plymouthcountyoutreach | Twitter @countyoutreach | Instagram @plymouthcountyoutreach | Website: www.plymouthcountyoutreach.org
