ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KSDK)--Thursday afternoon, the newly formed St. Louis Opioid Task Force will meet at SSM Health headquarters to discuss ways to combat the opioid epidemic.
According to public record, about 760 people died in 2017 from an opioid related death and those numbers continue to climb.
“Missouri is one of the leading states for opioid deaths in the country and within Missouri the St. Louis city and St. Louis county are the highest areas with opioid related deaths. It's a very serious problem,” said Dr. Alexander Garza, Chief Quality Officer for SSM Health.
Dr. Garza will be leading the Task Force meeting Thursday. He said it’s important for county leaders and health professionals to discuss ways to combat the growing problem. He said there are things the public can do to help like recognizing when someone is suffering from an overdose. Symptoms include slower breathing, dilated pupils, extreme fatigue, even passing out.
If you do see someone overdosing, Dr. Garza said, supporting their breathing is the first thing to do.
“Try to wake them up. Stimulate them as best you can. Tell them to take a deep breath and call 911 so that somebody can get there to give them Naloxone, the reversal agent,” he said.
The sooner the person gets help, the more likely they are to survive.
