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`AG Coffman Announces Naloxone Initiative to Reverse a Deadly Trend | Colorado POST
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`AG Coffman Announces Naloxone Initiative to
`Reverse a Deadly Trend
`
`Published: Tue, 09/20/2016 - 3:05pm
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`Press Release
`
`Colorado Department of Law
`Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman
`
`FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
`September 19, 2016
`
`CONTACT
`Annie Skinner
`Colorado Attorney General's Office
`720-508-6553
`Annie.Skinner@coag.gov
`
`Attorney General Coffman Announces Initiative to Reverse a Deadly
`Trend by Getting Naloxone into Life Saving Hands
`
`DENVER – Today, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman announced the launch of the Colorado
`Naloxone for Life Initiative, a statewide partnership to save lives with the opioid overdose reversal
`medication, Naloxone.
`
`"Coloradans, along with the rest of our nation, are experiencing a deadly opioid public health crisis,"
`said Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman. "We can't sit by and watch the horrible disease of opioid
`addiction claim more lives in our local communities."
`
`According to data shared by the Harm Reduction Action Center, there is an overdose death in Colorado
`every nine hours and twenty-four minutes. Data from the State of Colorado compiled by the Colorado
`Health Institute (CHI) demonstrated that between 2002 and 2014 drug overdose deaths increased in all
`but one county in Colorado, resulting in a 68 percent increase in drug overdose deaths. In addition,
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`https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/post/news/ag-coffman-announces-naloxone-initiative-reverse-deadly-trend
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`Opiant Exhibit 2152
`Nalox-1 Pharmaceuticals, LLC v. Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
`IPR2019-00685
`Page 1
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`12/15/2019
`AG Coffman Announces Naloxone Initiative to Reverse a Deadly Trend | Colorado POST
`there are counties in Colorado with rates that rank among the highest in the United States.
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`This data highlighting the public health crisis of opioid addiction in Colorado, was shared and discussed
`at the Colorado Substance Abuse Trend and Response Task Force Task Force meeting in February of this
`year. Coffman is the chair of the Colorado Substance Abuse Trend and Response Task Force, which looks
`to assist communities in best practice approaches for responding to substance abuse issues.
`
`"Hearing the incredibly sad statistics about overdoses in our state, I was moved to find a way as
`Attorney General to take action, because these statistics aren't just numbers, they represent individuals
`who were loved and valued," said Attorney General Coffman. "We know that every individual who dies
`from a drug overdose impacts others, including the dedicated men and women who arrive on the scene
`of an overdose or subsequent death."
`
`The Colorado Naloxone for Life Initiative, led by the Attorney General's Office, is a collaborative effort
`with the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, a broad-based group that is
`working to prevent the abuse of opioid medications and address the impact of the recent trend in
`heroin abuse in Colorado.
`
`Naloxone, which is now in a nasal form known as Narcan, can be easily administered to an overdosing
`person, and can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, reviving individuals, and potentially
`preventing death. Along with other partners across the state, the initiative will provide law
`enforcement and other first responders with training and access to Narcan, as well as with a way to
`track the success of the use of the Narcan in Colorado.
`
`"We know that Narcan can save people in their most critical life or death moment during an overdose,
`which is why I am proud to help lead the Colorado Naloxone for Life Initiative to make this medication
`available for use by law enforcement and other first responders across our state," said Coffman.
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`The Office of the Attorney General will allocate $264,500 for the Colorado Naloxone for Life Initiative,
`using funds from settlements with pharmaceutical companies that are designated to be used in
`addressing public health initiatives.
`
`Coffman's office, working with multiple community partners, will use those funds to purchase 2,500
`dual-dose Narcan Rescue Kits that will be disseminated to law enforcement personnel and first
`responders in 17 Colorado counties with high rates of drug overdose deaths. Those counties are Adams,
`Baca, Bent, Clear Creek, Crowley, Delta, Dolores, Freemont, Huerfano, Jackson, Las Animas, Mesa,
`Otero, Ouray, Phillips, Pueblo, and Sedgwick.
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`Whatever kits are not disseminated in those counties, if any, will go to other jurisdictions with an
`interest in having Narcan until this supply is diminished.
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`https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/post/news/ag-coffman-announces-naloxone-initiative-reverse-deadly-trend
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`2/3
`
`Opiant Exhibit 2152
`Nalox-1 Pharmaceuticals, LLC v. Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
`IPR2019-00685
`Page 2
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`
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`12/15/2019
`
`AG Coffman Announces Naloxone Initiative to Reverse a Deadly Trend | Colorado POST
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`The funds will also be used to conduct 10 trainings in 6 regions across the state on how to administer
`Narcan and on associated protocols for its use. Denver Health helped to arrange the Naloxone purchase
`and Dr. Joshua Blum, will be helping to lead the trainings along with Lisa Raville (Harm Reduction Action
`Center) and Chief Rick Brandt (Evans Police Department).
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`The trainings will occur between the end of September the end of November, and are free and open to
`the public. Law enforcement personnel and first responders from the prioritized counties that attend
`the training will be eligible to receive the Narcan kits. There will also be a train-the-trainer opportunity
`for those who wish to train others in their communities on how to administer Narcan.
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`A portion of the funds will also be used for an upgrade of the OpiRescu app for mobile devices that not
`only provides in-the-field instruction on how to administer Narcan but will also be used to collect
`information on overdose reversals.
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`The first training and distribution of Narcan is scheduled for September 22nd for law enforcement
`personnel and first responders of Adams County and Clear Creek County. Law Enforcement Officials can
`visit the Training Schedule page of the County Sheriffs of Colorado web site (www.csos.org) for
`registration details. Law Enforcement inquiries about the trainings and distribution of Narcan can be
`addressed to oce@coag.gov.
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`https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/post/news/ag-coffman-announces-naloxone-initiative-reverse-deadly-trend
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`3/3
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`Opiant Exhibit 2152
`Nalox-1 Pharmaceuticals, LLC v. Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
`IPR2019-00685
`Page 3
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