CNMI frontliners prepare to respond to fentanyl overdoses

While there are no reported deaths linked to fentanyl in the Northern Marianas, healthcare and law enforcement officials are wasting no time in preparing for its impact when the drug reaches the island’s shores.

Joe Kevin Villagomez, administrator & clinical supervisor, Addiction Services Unit, Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation-Community Guidance Center, said, "Our neighbor to the south, Guam, has had cases, even death related to fentanyl. And then so we heighten our ability to, educate everybody. Our first goal was to bring all the front line people together."

The CNMI's frontliners armed with education and naloxone, used to reverse an opioid overdose. While there are no reported deaths linked to fentanyl in the NMI, healthcare and law enforcement officials are wasting no time in preparing for its impact when the drug reaches the island’s shores.

"There's two things that concerns us very much. Yes, I've been doing this a long time, and I've seen bad drugs, but I've not seen a drug that's bad and deadly at the same time that, immediate attention needs to happen or the person will die. So that's one concern. The other concern is that these drugs, unfortunately, are not usually drugs that somebody can go down the street and buy from a dealer. They can be ordered, they can be ordered to the dark web, they can be ordered. And most of the cases in the state of young kids, they order it through social media," he said.

He said more of the life-saving medication is on its way to the CNMI, so they’re preparing the frontline to use it if they have to.

"We're hoping that we will get to that level here too, so that anybody that wants it, should have access to it. And what I mean by that is that family members would know if their loved one is using drugs or not drugs. So if their loved one is using drugs, arm yourself with Narcan because you never know if they're going to get in touch with an opioid," he said.