First aid kit with supplies
A state-wide watchdog for bad-batch drugs is halfway to its fundraising goal for its latest harm reduction project.
The SOAR Initiative (SOAR stands for Safety, Outreach, Autonomy, Respect) alerts subscribers via text or app about overdoses from deadly batches of drugs, often laced with unknown amounts of fentanyl and xylazine.
The latter, SOAR says, has exploded in the state, resulting in the need for specific first aid kits to meet the growing need for xylazine wound care.
"As we see a growing rate of xylazine in our communities, we're facing a greater need for proper wound care supplies for all of our Community Outreach Workers," SOAR wrote on Instagram on Oct. 10.
Xylazine is a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer meant for sedating animals. It’s a central nervous system depressant that can cause drowsiness, amnesia, slowed breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, and can cause scaly wounds to show up on all parts of the body, known as eschar. When left untreated, eschar can lead to amputation of the limbs.
The effect has given xylazine its “zombie drug” nickname.
“You can snort, smoke and inject and still get these sores anywhere on your body,”
said Jessica Collier, harm reduction and outreach specialist at SOAR. “Wound care is super, super important, but there’s not a lot of places out there that offer it. And this is really nasty in that they’re not able to care for it very well themselves. They really need to get into the hospital, but how many IV drug-users are going to be going to the hospital every day to have a dressing change?”
SOAR launched the Better Together initiative in September to raise $3,000 for wound care kits that would be distributed to outreach specialists like Collier. The kits will include items like antiseptic wipes and hand sanitizer for infection prevention; bandages, gauze and tape for wound care; and disposable gloves for personal protection.
"These wounds can become severe and lead to further complications, including hospitalization or death," SOAR wrote on Instagram. "Effective wound care with harm reduction services and outreach can help prevent complications and infections, reducing the likelihood of hospital readmissions."
With the help of the Columbus Foundation, SOAR has received $1,435 in donations for wound care kits so far, about half of its $3,000 fundraising goal.
The funds raised have paid for 203 kits, but they're asking for more donations to keep the supplies coming. SOAR said it has seven days left to reach its fundraising goal.
Originally published by CityBeat. Republished here with permission.
