GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — There is a new step in responding to the opioid crisis that will now start minutes after an overdose.
Gaston County commissioners recently approved a plan that will allow paramedics to start treatment while responding to a call.
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Paramedics will be ready to give at-home treatment with Suboxone, which reverses the effects of some opioids.
Gaston County once led the state in overdoses, and now the number is skyrocketing again.
In 2020, there were 506 significant overdoses where paramedics used Narcan to revive patients.
In the video at the top of this webpage, Gaston County reporter Ken Lemon explores the new plan.
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