Life-Saving Advice About Narcan

Two Everett city workers share their knowledge in Saugus on how ordinary citizens can reverse an opioid drug overdose

By Mark E. Vogler

Police, firefighters and emergency first responders for several years have been credited with contributing to the dramatic drop in opioid drug-related deaths by quickly administering the life-saving medicine Narcan to victims of a drug overdose. This week, two Everett city workers who are involved in the local war on drug abuse told a small gathering at the Saugus Senior Center how they can respond if they encounter a person who is suffering from a drug overdose.

“Narcan is a life-saving drug,” said Paul Guarino, Roadmap to Recovery program coordinator for the City of Everett Fire Department.

“Everybody should have it in their household,” he said.

Guarino said Narcan should be a part of every home’s first aid kit and that family members should know how to recognize the signs of an overdose and how to administer Narcan while they wait for the police or fire department to respond to the scene.

“This year, we’ve only had 16 overdose calls through July,” Guarino said.

“There were 180 a year when I first started going out on calls,” he said.

Joining Guarino during the Narcan presentation was Eric Mazzeo, the assistant director of Youth Substance Use Prevention in Everett. The Saugus-Everett Elks Drug Awareness Committee sponsored the Narcan Presentation, which included light refreshments and distribution of informational material.

Guarino gave a demonstration of how to use Narcan and shared boxes of the medication with the audience. Each box contained two single-dose nasal spray devices. Most pharmacies sell Narcan or Naloxone – the generic brand of the medication – for $40 to $50 a box, he said.

Personal addiction experience

Guarino has been working in his outreach position with the Everett Fire Department for the past four years. He is a pharmacist by trade, and he told the Senior Center audience that it was a personal addiction to Percocet that led to his life spiraling out of control.

“I was the kid in the candy shop,” Guarino recalled of how became addicted while working as a pharmacist.

“Back in 2009, I had some real bad foot pain,” he recalled. Rather than see a doctor, Guarino said, he began self-medicating with Percocet pills he got from the pharmacy. The pain went away, but he kept taking them – until the pharmacy discovered his addiction.

“For the grace of God, I got caught in 2012. My new high today is helping people,” he said.

Mazzeo recalled that his substance abuse problem also took a positive turn once, after he got help. “I grew up in the city of Everett and was a good football player but struggled with some things internally and turned to drugs and alcohol as a quick fix,” Mazzeo told The Saugus Advocate.

“I have over six years in recovery myself and love to help others, especially our youth. I got involved in a 12-step program, which saved my life and basically got me this job,” he said, referring to his position as the Assistant Director of Youth Substance Use Prevention for the City of Everett.

“I love being around the youth and being a positive male role model for them,” he said.

“How you can do your part and help reduce the number of overdoses is by being aware of the resources that are out there, asking for help and being a bright light for someone struggling without passing judgement. Addiction and alcoholism is hard enough. We need to please connect with one another and be supportive.”

These days, Mazzeo said, he frequently goes into Everett Public Schools to talk with students and share his insight on the dangers of drug abuse. “The kids don’t know what they’re putting into their body,” Mazzeo said.

It behooves every adult to learn about the benefits of Narcan and how to use it because of the greater potential of running into a person suffering from an overdose. “You could be at a McDonald’s,” he said.

For their own good, the public needs to shed the attitude “This is not going to happen in my household,” Guarino said.

“We have to get rid of the stigma. A lot of people freak out when somebody overdoses,” he said, suggesting average folks need to get familiar with Narcan and how to use it.

“It should be in every household. We have it all over the city. We have it in the schools,” he said.

And there needs to be more conversation about the problem and how average citizens can help by being more observant and prepared to respond when they encounter a potential drug overdose.

At a time when first responders are having great success because of Narcan, another challenge faces them: the prevalence of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid drug that is 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. Authorities say a fatal dose is strong enough to fit on the tip of a pencil.

When the body takes more opioids than it can handle, a person can have an overdose within 20 minutes to an hour. “Anything spiked with fentanyl, people go down really quick,” Guarino said.

Because of its potency, it may take several doses of Narcan to reverse the overdose effects of fentanyl, according to Guarino. And that’s why it’s so important to call emergency 911 immediately, because the person who overdosed needs immediate medical attention in the hospital, he said.

What Everett is doing

In a follow-up email to The Saugus Advocate, Guarino shared a 2024 Overdose incident report he prepared for the Everett Fire Department, based on his “Roadmap to Recovery” program. Of the 40 overdose incidents that the Fire Department responded to, four of the cases were fatal. Here are some of the highlights:

–24 people went into detox facilities.

–17 people went into sober homes with the help of grant money.

–The city held an “Overdose Awareness Day” last August in Glendale Park.

–In September, City Hall hosted a “Stop the Stigma Day,” which was also held at several Everett public schools.

–There were multiple trainings and talks with students and teachers throughout the school district, teaching the meaning of harm reduction and how the life-saving drug Narcan works. The need to spread awareness to all high school students about fentanyl, the dangers of counterfeit pills and the use of Narcan is vital, the report determined.

–Narcan training for all school nurses was held at the Everett Health Department in August.

–The Saugus-Everett Elks Lodge held Narcan training and a presentation with Everett seniors.

–There was a startup of monthly meetings with the Police Department on identifying high-risk individuals and getting them the help and resources they need.

–Weekly visits to local sober homes to stay engaged with those individuals and to keep them on the right path

–Every overdose incident is followed up on in collaboration with the program’s harm reduction outreach from Fenway Health.