Manatee County fire department receives tool to help with heroin overdoses

MANATEE -- A Manatee County fire department has received a donation of a drug that will help in the fight against opioid overdose deaths.

Southern Manatee Fire Department, along with Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, has received a donation of EVZIO naloxone auto-injectors, according to a news release sent Wednesday.

The announcement comes ahead of a press conference scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Southern Manatee Fire Rescue Administrative Office, 2451 Trailmate Drive.

"With this donation, we will have an opportunity to make a real difference in the fight against unintentional drug poisoning and overdose related deaths," Boyd said in the release.

The donation came from kalèo, a Richmond, Va.-based pharmaceutical company. In July 2014, EVZIO became available in the U.S. by prescription and "is the first and only FDA-approved naloxone product specifically indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression and is intended for immediate administration as emergency therapy in settings where opioids may be present, including outside of supervised medical settings," according to the release.

With 17,000 Americans dying each year, prescription opioid overdose or unintended drug poisoning has surpassed automobile collisions as the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., according to the release.

Medical Examiner Dr. Russell Vega earlier this month estimated more than 150 would die in Manatee County this year from overdoses from heroin and/or fentanyl, a powerful painkiller that authorities say has been mixed with some of the local supply.

"The rising number of overdose deaths from opioid-based prescription drugs and heroin is one of the top concerns for our community," Southern Manatee Fire Rescue District Chief Brian Gorski said in the release. "This new product delivers a potentially life-saving dose of naloxone via a simple to use auto-injector system that is easy to carry and administer to someone experiencing an opioid overdose."

EVZIO, which uses voice and visual cues, delivers a single 0.4 mg dose of naloxone. The pre-filled, single-use auto-injector works by "temporarily blocking the effect of an opioid potentially reversing the life-threatening respiratory depression and allowing the recipient to breathe more regularly until advanced emergency medical treatment arrives," according to the release.

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter@Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Manatee County fire department receives tool to help with heroin overdoses ."