THE SAFE FOUNDATION, SEPHARDIC BIKUR HOLIM AND SIMHA HEALTH RESPOND
The synthetic opioid fentanyl, a painkiller up to 100 times stronger than morphine designed to treat advanced cancer patients, is flooding the streets in the form of counterfeit prescription pills — and killing people who did not ever intend to ingest the drug.
Prescription medication is frequently expensive, and for those without adequate insurance or access to a doctor, obtaining painkillers or anti-anxiety medications legally can be beyond one’s grasp. In response, many people turn to online marketplaces or under the counter sources such as street dealers. These unwitting customers believe they are purchasing legitimate pills like Oxycodone, Xanax, or Adderall that were manufactured by major pharmaceutical companies. However, what they are oftentimes getting are pills laced with fentanyl, leading to potentially fatal overdoses at an alarming rate.
Unlike regulated medications, these pills are illegally manufactured in China and Mexico and not subject to any quality control. Fentanyl, which is cheap to produce and very highly addictive is mixed in to the formulations of these pills to generate an addictive result. However, when not formulated or produced correctly, a single tablet could contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. To repeat, many people who overdose never meant to take opioids—they simply sought relief for pain, stress, or other medical conditions. Still others who intend to use drugs such as cocaine, heroin and crystal meth also unknowingly ingest fentanyl — again, to fatal effect.
The number one question people ask is – why? What incentive do the producers of these counterfeit pills have to “kill off” their customer base? The answer is they do not intend for their customers to overdose, but fentanyl is so cheap to produce and so highly addictive that the overall majority of people who take it become hooked and continue to purchase the drug – far outweighing lost income to producers resulting from deaths by overdose. It’s just a numbers game – to the producers, lives lost don’t matter.
Tragically, such deaths have occurred recently in our own community and The Safe Foundation (Safe), in partnership with Sephardic Bikur Holim and Simha Health, is leading a campaign to educate Rabbis, community leaders and the public about the grave dangers of taking any medication not prescribed by a physician and obtained from a pharmacist.
On the evening of Saturday, February 22nd, Safe hosted approximately 40 Rabbis and other leaders from the surrounding areas for a discussion about fentanyl and the devastation it has been causing.
During the hour-long program, Safe President James Haddad and Founder/CEO Ike Dweck expressed concern about the issue and stressed that Safe is available to all who could benefit from its clinical services. Rabbi Joey Haber spoke of the importance of open communication among congregations, and how this is not an issue that only affects “drug addicts” – but rather anyone who ingests counterfeit medications not purchased from a pharmacy. Dr. Jason Zimmerman, Medical Director at Hatzalah, expounded on the destructive power of the drug and the increasing frequency which with Hatzalah is encountering cases of fentanyl overdoses.
The overall takeaway?
This issue affects people from all walks of life and no one should ever take medication that wasn’t prescribed for them by their doctor and obtained from their pharmacy.
Since the event, Safe has equipped our Rabbinate with critical information and factual references to share with their congregations in order to bring more attention to this urgent matter. In a community-wide coordinated initiative, many Rabbis provided remarks on this topic during their sermons the following Shabbat. The community owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to our Rabbinate for their efforts in addressing this difficult subject. It is our sincere hope that we do not lose another soul to this deadly scourge.
Anyone wishing to connect to Safe about this effort, to receive free Narcan kits to have on hand in case of an emergency, or to inquire about receiving addiction services, should please call 718-GET-SAFE.
Regarding detection, all should be aware of symptoms:
- Loss of consciousness
- Slow or no breathing
- Blue or grayish skin, lips, or fingernails
- Pinpoint pupils
As for responding, the following are the essential instructions: - Call 911 Immediately – Emergency responders can administer life-saving treatment.
- Administer Naloxone (Narcan) – This medication can reverse an opioid overdose and is available without a prescription in many pharmacies.
- Perform Rescue Breathing & CPR – If the person is not breathing, provide rescue breaths and chest compressions until help arrives.
- Stay with the Person – Overdoses can reoccur even after Narcan is administered, so continued monitoring is crucial.
