PLYMOUTH — The Police Chiefs of Plymouth County report that between Monday, April 20 and Thursday, April 30, Plymouth County Outreach has documented 38 overdoses, with 11 being fatal suspected overdoses, more overdoses than usual.
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.
Please be aware that anyone using a substance purchased off the street is at risk of an overdose. It is suspected that Fentanyl is being mixed with other non-opioid substances such as cocaine and street pills marked as Xanax.
Know how to recognize the signs of an overdose:
- Breathing is very slow and shallow, erratic or has stopped
- Face very pale
- Cool, clammy skin
- Choking sounds or a gurgling noise (death rattle)
- Pulse (heartbeat) is slow erratic or has stopped
- Blue/grey skin tinge – usually lips and fingers show first, sometimes in tips of ears
- Loss of consciousness-Passing out
- Body becomes very limp
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.
Click here for a video the Brockton Area Prevention Collaborative recently put together.
This training provides an overview of opioid overdose prevention including: what are opioids, what is an overdose, what is the scope of the problem, what puts someone at risk to overdose, what are the signs of an overdose, strategies for managing an overdose event, naloxone and local resources.
During COVID-19 Narcan is available at the following locations:
- 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 Plymouth County Outreach, 508-830-4218 ext. 261
Treatment, support and hope are available throughout the county and region:
- Brockton Champion Plan.
- PCO Hope
- Scituate South Shore Peer Recovery Center
- Plymouth Recovery Center
- The Anchor of Hull
- Brockton Area Prevention Collaborative
- Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline: 800-327-5050 or helplinema.org.
- If you or a loved one is at-risk of an overdose and looking to access treatment please reach out to your local Plymouth County Police Department and ask to speak with a Plymouth County Outreach Officer, contact us through our website: www.plymouthcountyoutreach.org/connect or call 508-830-4218 ext. 261.
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 the video.
Harm reduction strategies include:
- Don’t use alone
- Use slowly
- Test a small amount first to check the potency
- Carry Narcan
- Test your substance using Fentanyl test strips
For more information on harm reduction strategies, click here.
Community Connections:
We understand that this is a difficult time for everyone and that many people rely on community connections to sustain their recovery. We’re here to tell you that you are not alone. There are still many remote resources available amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
See some of those available resources below and please contact us for an additional list of resources.
- Plymouth County Outreach has recovery coaches on-call 7 days a week. Recovery Coaches are there to support you, talk, listen, assist in accessing treatment, providing resources, assist in scheduling appointments, etc. Reach out to us via the connect page on our website, through any of our social media platforms or by calling the PCO voicemail box at 508-830-4218 ext. 261.
- PCO now has ZOOM office hours Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- The South Shore Peer Recovery Center in Scituate continues to help the community and host meetings remotely. Click here.
- The Anchor of Hull Recovery Center continues to help the community and host meetings remotely. Click here.
- PCO HOPE continues to provide community support and scholarships for treatment. Click here.
About Plymouth County Outreach: Plymouth County Outreach is a collaborative of police departments throughout Plymouth County led by the following chiefs: Abington Chief David Majenski, Bridgewater Chief Christopher Delmonte, Bridgewater State University Chief David Tillinghast, Brockton Chief Emanuel Gomes, Sgt. William Schlieman of the Brockton Police Department, Carver Chief Marc Duphily, Duxbury Chief Stephen R. McDonald, East Bridgewater Chief Paul O’Brien, Halifax Chief Joao Chaves, Hanover Chief Walter Sweeney, Hanson Chief Michael Miksch, Hingham Chief Glenn Olsson, Hull Chief John Dunn, Kingston Chief Maurice Splaine, Lakeville Chief Matthew J. Perkins, Marion Chief John Garcia, Marshfield Chief Phillip Tavares, Mattapoisett Chief Mary Lyons, Middleboro Chief Joseph Perkins, Norwell Chief Ted Ross, Pembroke Chief Richard Wall, Plymouth Chief Michael Botieri, Plympton Chief Matthew Clancy, Rochester Chief Robert Small, Rockland Chief John Llewellyn, Scituate Chief Michael Stewart, Wareham Chief John Walcek, West Bridgewater Chief Victor Flaherty and Whitman Chief Timothy Hanlon.
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