Nashua Telegraph - Nashua Police, EMTs Back Ayotte's Anti-Overdose Measure

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By Chris Garofolo

Two leading emergency response organizations on Thursday formally endorsed legislation, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, that offers better protection to individuals who administer opioid overdose prevention drugs.

Ayotte, a Republican from Nashua, appeared at the American Medical Response facility on West Hollis Street to tout the benefits of the Opioid Overdose Reduction Act she introduced with fellow Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., saying the measure will reduce the fear of prosecution for those on the front lines fighting the unprecedented upswing in drug-related cases. "Unfortunately in our state we have seen an epidemic of heroin overdoses - and this is an issue that is not unique to New Hampshire - but I've met with New Hampshire families who have lost children; who have suffered so much because their loved ones have become addicted to heroin or other opioid drugs, including prescription drugs," Ayotte said standing in front of an AMR ambulance within the docking area of their Nashua station.

The legislation offers extra safeguards for emergency responders, as well as health professionals and family members educated in the administering of an opioid overdose prevention drug like naloxone - commonly known as Narcan - in the event of an overdose.

Use of Narcan has been on the rise given the elevated opioid abuse in the region. The death rate nationwide from heroin overdoses have quadrupled since 2000. New Hampshire alone had 300 deaths attributed to drug overdoses last year.

"In 2014, our heroin overdoses here in Nashua almost tripled," said Nashua Police Chief Andrew Lavoie. "And unfortunately this year in 2015 we are already on pace to more than double the 2014 statistics."

Nashua law enforcement along with medical response crews champion the bill, saying individuals may hesitate to administer lifesaving drugs to overdose victims if they worry about potential lawsuits.

AMR, a leading provider of medical transportation with services in 40 states, and the American Ambulance Association endorsed it Thursday morning.

"While this particular piece of legislation is not the answer in whole, it is a very important piece or tool in the tool belt to help us combat this problem," said AMR general manager Christopher Stawasz. "American Medical Response of New Hampshire serves Nashua, Manchester and Candia, and we've seen significant increases in the amount of overdoses that our crews have been responding to."

The Opioid Overdose Reduction Act had a companion bill by the same name in the U.S. House of Representatives during the previous legislative session, but one has not been reintroduced as of Thursday. The act has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Ayotte has also joined several senators in the reintroduction of the Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act, which would expand prevention and anti-drug education efforts.

While the Ayotte-backed bills did not have any language specific to the state, the senator's office said New Hampshire will benefit from an increase in resources and better guidance in terms of interagency best practices and the overdose reduction act will alleviate individuals from civil liability when administering naloxone.

Ayotte said she has seen first-hand the importance of life-saving drugs like Narcan after she participated in a ride-along last summer with the Manchester Fire Department and witnessed a heroin overdose call.

"I saw a young man who was on the ground who looked like he was very, very close to a situation where we may lose him. And then I saw first responders give him this lifesaving drug ... and bring him back to life," she said. "What we want to make sure we say to our first responders is that you can do this (and) you will have the proper legal protections to do that so that we can save lives in New Hampshire."

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