It is well known that the opioid epidemic is highly plaguing Americans across the US. No matter where you may be living, this epidemic is probably affecting you even if you can't see it. In 2016, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services released the following info-graphic on the rising numbers of opioid deaths, misuses, and economic costs.
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| Info-graphic via the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Opioids Crisis |
The number of opioid deaths per day is especially striking when compared to the daily suicide rate of about 121 people and the daily deaths in car crashes of about 102 people. These numbers are definitely a cause for concern, but what may be even more concerning is that libraries across the United States are now finding it necessary to stock Narcan and train staff on how to use it. This may seem like a step in the right direction in combating this Trump approved epidemic, but what are the implications of having public libraries stocked with Narcan?
To begin, once drug abusers find out that libraries are a "safe space" to do drugs in, they will make drug-affected libraries even more unsafe. Drug abusers already have a habit of doing their drugs in public bathrooms, and library bathrooms increase the chance that your children would stumble upon a person who has overdosed.
There is also an increased fear for librarians and other staff who administer this potentially life-saving drug. Their fear comes from how the abuser can react once "woken up" and free of their drug high. Users have a history of being violent, and this potential violence is much better dealt with through trained police personnel or first responders. If librarians are being trained on how to administer this drug, shouldn't they also be trained on how to defuse violent situations and how to detain drug users? Maybe our librarians should carry handcuffs and firearms to help ensure the safety of themselves and civilians. Or maybe librarians should have to complete police academy to effectively match the needs of their community. Although these situations are scary to come across and these measures may seem a bit extreme, this is the sad reality we are currently living in.
However for libraries in high-drug areas choosing to undergo the necessary training to carry Narcan, it is free thanks to recent amendments to New York laws. Most other states have adopted similar laws that enable: libraries to carry the drug, civilians to distribute to narcan without a prescription, and immunity through extended Good Samaritan Laws. The grant money available for libraries is, I believe, a necessary evil in combating this epidemic. But I believe there are other, possibly more effective measures in decreasing opioid-related deaths that will show themselves with time.
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