Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Provincetown are in-person, typically with an online-attendance option for both committee members and residents. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a link to an agenda and details.
Thursday, Jan. 26
- Public Pier Corp. Board, 5 p.m., Town Hall
- Planning Board, 6 p.m., Town Hall
Wednesday, Feb. 1
- Historic District Commission, 3:30 p.m., Town Hall
Thursday, Feb. 2
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m., Town Hall
Conversation Starters
Fighting Fentanyl
Harm reduction specialists Nolan O’Connor and Ryan Ferguson from the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod conducted a training session on the use of naloxone, also known as Narcan, at town hall on Jan. 23.
Narcan can reverse the effects of any opioid drug almost immediately, including overdoses of heroin, fentanyl, or prescription drugs like OxyContin. It works by binding to the receptors in the brain to which those drugs connect and is delivered through a single-dose nasal spray.
For a person whose breathing and heartbeat have become dangerously suppressed, a dose of Narcan can be lifesaving. EMTs and police officers on the Outer Cape already carry Narcan, according to AIDS Support Group CEO Dan Gates.
Fentanyl is an especially fast-acting depressant, however, and it can knock people unconscious before they have time to call for help. For this reason, Gates told the Independent, business owners, bartenders, parents, and other concerned community members should be trained in the use of Narcan.
Despite its lethal potential, fentanyl is increasingly being found mixed into other drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine, possibly to make them more addictive. To help drug users protect themselves from a potentially lethal overdose, the AIDS Support Group is now giving out free fentanyl test kits at its drop-in center at 301 Commercial St. —Paul Benson
