Is Jail Neglect a Widespread Problem in Texas?-Pt.19
7 Inmates Survive Fentanyl Overdoses After the Jail Provides Narcan
Headlines about multiple inmates suffering from fentanyl poisoning are not unusual. One of the ways that jails can show responsibility toward the lives of inmates in their care is by keeping plenty of Narcan on hand. Fentanyl is an opioid; and Narcan / Naloxone is a nasal spray that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.
At a county jail outside Texas, seven inmates suffered the effects of fentanyl poisoning. Narcan was administered to each of them. They were transported to a hospital and all of them survived.
But before the happy ending, first one detainee (and then six more) exhibited unusual behavior consistent with an overdose caused by fentanyl. The detainee swayed back and forth and fell against a wall.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but far more potent. Just a few grains of fentanyl, like grains of salt, are enough to kill someone. If the powder form of fentanyl gets on someone’s skin, it can cause a deadly overdose.
There is obviously an issue in which jails must stop illicit drugs from getting into the jails. But the fact that it happens often should alert every facility to be on the alert for signs that a detainee’s life may be saved by using one or more doses of Narcan.
Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, and Part 18 of this continuing series.
Providing municipal and county jail detainees in Texas with helpful resources is one of this website’s purposes. Suggesting that a person or entity has engaged in wrongdoing is never intended.
–Guest Contributor
smchugh
smchugh