Pennsylvania

TexasTowelie

(112,313 posts) Sat Oct 29, 2016, 12:02 AM Oct 2016

Pennsylvania ambulance service asking overdose victims their preferred funeral home for ‘next time’

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A southwest Pennsylvania ambulance service is adopting a new "scared straight" approach when treating drug overdose patients.

West End Ambulance Services is a privately funded, non-profit emergency service, whose medical personnel will soon start asking drug overdose patients to list their preferred funeral home, just in case the ambulance doesn't make it in time to save them from their next overdoses.

Ira Hart, manager of the Johnstown ambulance service, said he hopes the new program provides drug addicts with "a stark realization of what could happen."

Each time a patient is picked up for a drug overdose, West End's medical personnel will hand the patient a card designed to inform their recipients of just how close they came to dying.

Read more: http://www.somerset-kentucky.com/cnhi_network/pennsylvania-ambulance-service-asking-overdose-victims-their-preferred-funeral-home/article_bc0a364f-c625-561e-a53d-7245f5c26615.html

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Pennsylvania ambulance service asking overdose victims their preferred funeral home for ‘next time’ (Original Post) TexasTowelie Oct 2016 OP

Sad to say but that is where they eventualyly end up. We have had hundreds of deaths doc03 Oct 2016 #1

Hmmmm... 47of74 Oct 2016 #2

This is a good idea. elehhhhna Oct 2016 #3

doc03

(35,358 posts)

1. Sad to say but that is where they eventualyly end up. We have had hundreds of deaths

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Sat Oct 29, 2016, 12:09 AM

Oct 2016

in the last couple years in the Pittsburgh, eastern Ohio and WV area.

47of74

(18,470 posts)

2. Hmmmm...

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Sat Oct 29, 2016, 12:13 AM

Oct 2016

I'm not sure if this will be effective or not.

I know he's trying to keep people from winding up in funeral homes but I don't think these "scared straight" programs are going to do too much.

elehhhhna

(32,076 posts)

3. This is a good idea.

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Sat Oct 29, 2016, 01:30 AM

Oct 2016

I have a young adult child in recovery. Since 14. 5 years sober. This child is the exception...so far.

She's buried 8 people also in recovery - teens and early 20's - in the past 4 years. Suicides overdoses drunk driving and a murder victim.

If you pretty much died while nodding out, and were revived, wouldn't you want to be clearly informed of that fact?

People get sober after life threatening overdoses. It happens.

Obama care made rehab available to millions of people btw.

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