Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/697728
JUNE 29 - JULY 5, 2016 UCW 13 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NEWS Heroin Antidote Is a Lifesaver by JEFF THOMPSON Naloxone is a medication used to counter the effects of opioid over- dose. Morphine, Percocet and heroin are in that class of drugs. Naloxone is used to counteract life-threaten- ing situations by allowing an over- dose victim to breathe normally. It's a non-addictive medication now available with- out prescrip- tion in North Carolina. Gov- ernor McCrory recently signed legislation mak- ing naloxone more accessible. "It has already saved the lives of 3,300 North Carolinians," he said. North Carolina is the third state in the country to issue a stand- ing prescription order statewide for naloxone. Naloxone is traditionally admin- istered by emergency response personnel. Fayetteville police were first equipped with it just over a year ago, according to police Cap- tain Lars Paul. All patrol officers and narcotics detectives carry it. Paul says a company that makes the drug provided the department with several hundred does of Naloxone. EVZIO is a hand-held, single-use naloxone auto-injector developed by Kaleo Pharma of Richmond, Vir- ginia. EVZIO should be given right away and does not take the place of emergency medical care. "EVZIO kits of two injectors and audio instruc- tions are expensive, costing nearly a thousand dollars," Paul said. Now however, an inexpensive Naloxone nasal spray is on the market and available over the counter for about $12. Improperly used prescription pain medications like Percocet and oxycodone are still the number one cause of opiate overdoses. But, stricter federal regulations govern- ing them are making them harder to get and more expensive. Paul says "people start off using legitimate prescription pain killers and then turn to heroin as a cheaper option." Dr. Steven Stack, the 170th president of the American Medical Association, recently issued an open letter to America's physicians on the opioid epidemic. It read in part "The medical profession must play a lead role in reversing the opioid epi- demic that, far too often, has started from a pre- scription pad. For the past 20 years, public policies — well-intended but now known to be flawed — compelled doctors to treat pain more ag- gressively for the comfort of our patients. But today's cri- sis plainly tells us we must be much more cautious with how we pre- scribe opioid. Tens of thousands of Americans are dying every year and more still will die because of a tragic resurgence in the use of heroin." Alternative forms of pain man- agement may reduce the use of addictive drugs. Experts agree that medication is a necessary and sometimes lifesaving part of the pain-management equation. The latest trend, said Steven Sta- nos, D.O., medical director of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Center for Pain Management, is to take a more comprehensive ap- proach to treating chronic pain, a "bio-psycho-social approach." The "bio," or biological, part means treating the physical or underly- ing root causes. The "psycho," or psychological, part addresses the depression, fear and anxi- ety that can accompany chronic pain. The "social" part pertains to a patient's ability to function in society. Very few doctors have specialized training in pain man- agement. In fact, only three per- cent of U.S. medical schools offer courses in it. In Fayetteville, there are 15 doctors who specialize in chronic pain management ranging from acupuncture to therapeutic laser treatment. Is the Army Airborne Antiquated? by JEFF THOMPSON Are airborne troops still needed in modern warfare? The question arises in military circles from time to time. Some consider airborne impractical in modern warfare - and expensive. Combat jumps have been few and far between since World War II. Army paratroopers are most visible in the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg community. Rotating brigades of the 82nd Airborne Division comprise our nation's Global Reaction Force (GRF). The GRF is designed to rap- idly deploy in an emergency with wheels up in 18 hours. Military scholar Marc DeVore's 2015 study "When Failure Thrives" shocked the airborne community. DeVore argues that the airborne still exists because of "institutionalization and military culture." He suggests that U.S. airborne forces are more a product of the airborne community's lobbying efforts rather than logi- cal calculations. He concludes that technology advances have all but removed airborne soldiers from the modern battlefield. "We've gone 38 years with it being tough to say any given airborne operation was neces- sary to accomplish the overall objec- tive of a given operation," DeVore said in an Army Times interview. Pentagon leaders don't buy the assertion. They acknowledge that a major airborne air assault is a low-probability option, but that it remains a vital capability and deter- rent. "It's not an Army requirement. It's a national security requirement," says Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of XVIII Airborne Corps. Most of the Army's top leaders have airborne backgrounds: Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Vice Chief Gen. Daniel Allyn, U.S. Special Opera- tions Commander Gen. Joseph Votel and acting Army Secretary Patrick Murphy all served at Fort Bragg. Nine of the Army's 13 four-star generals have led or served in the 82nd or XVIII Airborne Corps. Airborne also offers training, mo- rale, retention and recruiting perks and a pay bonus. Soldiers who are required to jump out of airplanes as part of their military duties are entitled to "Jump Pay" or "Parachute Duty Pay." There are two rates of Jump Pay, regular and HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening). Regular jump pay is $150 per month. HALO parachutists receive $225 per month. And there's prestige. Members of the 82nd Airborne consider themselves the Army's elite. They wear distinc- tive headgear setting them apart from regular forces. No one suggests parachuting is obsolete; Special Forces and the 75th Ranger Regiment frequently jump into enemy territory. But does the Army need five-plus brigades -- three of them at Fort Bragg -- with ever- tightening budget restraints? Former XVII Airborne Corp Commander Lt. Gen. Joe Anderson said airborne brigades cost about 10 percent more in maintenance than standard light infantry, but roughly a third as much as an armored unit. Over the last 15 years, members of the 82nd have seen more than their fair share of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan — but they were not involved in combat jumps. Army leaders note an air drop is the only way to get a substantial force into a conflict quickly when there's no air- strip handy. "Today the application of a large-scale airborne assault is low probability, but it's high consequence if we're not absolutely prepared to do it," said Brig. Gen. Brian Winski, deputy commander of the 82nd Air- borne Division.