Castle Country Radio had the chance to sit down with Opioid Prevention Specialist Michelle Ward and Health Educator Taylor Cook from the Southeast Utah Health Department (SEUHD) to discuss the organization’s harm reduction program available in Carbon and Emery Counties.
Opening our conversation, Cook spoke about what harm reduction is, as well as the specific goals of the program,” Harm reduction as a whole is any effort to reduce harm during any particular activity in general. I think it’s safe to say that drugs are a part of our world right now. And I don’t believe that they’re leaving anytime soon. Therefore, the type of harm reduction that we’re discussing today focuses on reducing the risks associated with using drugs. In our specific Harm Reduction Program, we carry all kinds of care kits, we supply Narcan, and we also provide free HIV and Hep C testing in our office at the health department. These services are available in Carbon and now Emery County, which we are excited about.”
After this, we talked about what is included in the health kits they provide.” So we’ve got a few different ones. We have some hygiene kits, and they include deodorant, shampoo, lotion, feminine hygiene products, wound care kits that include Band-Aids, healing ointment, gauze and sterile water.” Ward explained,” And we have safe sex kits and oral care kits and oral care has toothbrush, mouthwash, toothpaste, we’re working on getting some dental floss.”
Another product the program provides access to is Narcan, “Narcan is a lifesaving medication that reverses an opioid overdose. It can be found in the nasal spray form. It can also be found in an intramuscular injection. Most of the time, you’re going to see it in the nasal spray form just because that’s the easier way to use it.” Cook continued,” The most important thing that I like people to know about Narcan is that it’s not just for the people who use drugs. It’s for anybody and everybody, anyone can use it. For any person who carries an opioid prescription, it’s safe to have Narcan around. You never know what kind of emergency you’re going to run into.”
Another service that SEUHD provides as a part of this program is HIV and hepatitis C tests, with Ward explaining that ” Both of us are certified to do the rapid HIV and Hep C testing at the health department offices in Price or Castle Dale. And they’re just a quick mouth swab and a finger poke, and we get their results in 20 minutes.“
Ward also talked about how to access these services, saying,” In Carbon, anyone can walk in for testing Monday through Thursday, nine to four. And in Emery County, they’re available by appointment only.”
Another aspect of the program that Cook and Ward wanted to discuss was the educational opportunities that it can provide, “ We educate on almost anything and everything you can think of, we educate on what drugs can do to the human body, we educate on the dangers of mixing different substances, we have education on safe sex and the importance of personal and oral hygiene.”
The Harm Reduction Program also offers recovery resources to the community, with Ward explaining,” Because we have built that foundation of trust with our clients, we are ready to sit down immediately and discuss the right recovery option for each individual and call that resource right then and there. And that’s helpful because there is no delay.”
Rounding out our conversation, both Cook and Ward shared messages for the community. Cook started, sharing,” Our main priority is just to reduce the harms within our community and to try to maintain that safe environment for everyone. I also want to remind everyone that Narcan is not just for people who use drugs, like I said earlier, it’s for anyone and everyone.”
Ward added to this message,” A lot of the question I get a lot about Narcan is who can use it and you can use it on anybody like you can use it on an infant, you can use it on a pregnant lady. You can even use it on your pet and it’s safe to use it even if you’ve mistaken and say you’ve thought somebody was overdosing and instead they were having a heart attack or something, and you thought it was an overdose and you’ve Narcan, that person. It is not harmful. It won’t hurt them.”
For more information about SEUHD or its harm reduction program, the Price office can be found at 149 East, 100 South in Price, Utah, or reached by phone at 435-637-3671. The Castle Dale office is located at 25 West Main in Castle Dale, Utah, and can also be reached by phone at 435-381-2252. You can also visit their website here.