September 1st marks the start of National Recovery Month.
National Recovery Month is observed annually in September to give communities resources for individuals recovering from drug abuse. The theme for this year’s recovery month is, “Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community.“ Right now, the Bluefield Fire Department treats one overdose a day. Bluefield Fire Chief Chad Bailey feels disheartened about the epidemic.
“It’s horrible. That’s someone’s loved one that’s struggling with drugs. And drugs can take over their thinking process,” Chief Bailey said.
For an individual to be administered Narcan, a patient has to go through an assessment by first responders.
“We receive a call that the patient is acting strange or not breathing, we perform a patient assessment and take vitals. After that, we then determine if we can administer the Narcan,” Bailey said.