Carbon County first responders are no strangers to giving naloxone to heroin users.

Lehighton EMS officials said they administered three doses of the drug, more commonly known as Narcan, on Monday alone.A more telling fact, however, is how many users they see on multiple occasions.“It is absolutely a common occurrence to use Narcan on a patient and then have to use it on them again the next time they have an overdose,” said Joni Gestl, Lehighton EMS administrator. “It could be a week later, a month later, it really depends on the situation but we’ve seen it happen.”In the short-term, Narcan is effective in combating an overdose, but what happens in the long term?“I always say that Narcan can save an addict’s life, but it can’t give them a better quality of life,” Gestl said.EMS officials are some of the first people on the scene after a heroin user goes into respiratory depression. But after issuing Narcan and transferring care to hospital staff, they have very little control about what happens next.“It’s not mandated for someone to enter a rehabilitation program,” Gestl said. “That is really a choice they have. Some do make strides to better themselves and some do not.”According to a report by the Pennsylvania State Coroners Association, nearly 2,500 people died of drug-related causes last year, although 13 counties did not submit statistics.Carbon County did participate and reported 11 deaths, eight of which were heroin-related; while Monroe reported 39 drug-related deaths; Lehigh, 85; and Northampton, 28. There was no data reported for Schuylkill.Local police and fire departments now have the ability to carry Narcan as they too are some of the first on the scene when a heroin user overdoses.Summit Hill police are among those who have sought and received permission to administer the drug.“We used it one time back in June,” Chief Joseph Fittos Jr. reported Wednesday.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Narcan is credited with reversing more than 10,000 overdoses from 1996 to 2010.Critics, however, warn that its accessibility could enable more addicts to use more often and view the drug as a safety net.Gov. Tom Wolf signed an order in late October making Narcan available “over the counter” at pharmacies across the state.Since that time, heroin overdose calls in the area have increased.“Since the Narcan has been made readily available, our use on the street in administering it has tripled,” Gestl said.“The increased frequency is bad news because if for whatever reason these people are not found in time, they’ll most likely die. Someone would have to see them to get the Narcan to them or call an agency like ourselves.”