Narcan used on apparent overdose on Chestnut Street

FREMONT — Narcan, an injection drug used to treat heroin and opioid overdoses, is on the rise in Sandusky County, including two doses administered Sunday when a man died and a woman was taken to the hospital after apparent overdoses.

Fremont police received a call at 5:03 p.m. Sunday at 1003 Chestnut St. for an unresponsive male and female. Police detective T.J. Woolf declined to discuss the nature of the call, but in a news release, interim police Chief Jim White said drug evidence was found at the scene.

Police said an autopsy and toxicology will be performed by the Lucas County Coroner's Office on Jason Parish, 43, pronounced dead at the scene, to determine the cause of death.

Sandusky County EMS Director Jeff Jackson said Narcan, known generically as naloxone, was administered at the scene. Jackson said that, in most cases, EMS staff use Narcan for opioid or, more specifically, heroin overdoses.

The release said Kristine Lauer, 42, was taken by EMS to ProMedica Memorial Hospital in Fremont for a medical emergency, but it did not state whether it was drug-related.

Jackson said a dose of Narcan was administered to both Lauer and Parish.

As of Sunday's two doses, Narcan has been used 30 times in 2015 by Fremont EMS crews. In 2014, 26 doses were used in Fremont the entire year. In comparison, Narcan was used 17 times in 2013 and 15 doses were used in 2012.

Although the problem with opioid addiction is growing in the county, Jackson said, the success rate of Narcan usage has been positive.

"In 2014, we used 53 doses countywide with 32 positive responses," Jackson said.

With the calendar just turning to October, Jackson said, he believes the 53 doses used in 2014 could be surpassed in 2015.

"Countywide, we've used 44 doses this year. That is not all for opiates. We use Narcan for other things to rule out other causes, like cardiac arrest," Jackson said.

Jackson said 10 of the 12 Narcan uses for August were heroin or opioid-related.

"We are monitoring it," Jackson said of the increase in Narcan usage. "We're keeping up with the trends. We carry four doses in each of our four life squads."

In total, Sandusky County EMS carries approximately 28 does at one time.

"We're not fearing we can't meet the demand. I don't know what the answer is, but some communities have it bad," Jackson said.

cshoup@gannett.com

419-334-1035

Twitter: @CraigShoupNH