Include an overdose elixir in the first aid kit?

[Katrina79]

I have never seen this brought up on the forum so I believe it is a bit of a taboo subject but here we go. Over the years the number of overdoses and deaths from opioids has been increasing in our country. It is argued that it is an epidemic itself and has only been increasing throughout the pandemic. I’ve often thought it would be a very good idea to have on hand an overdose kit at my properties in case the need ever arises for a guest. Hopefully an overdose would never happen but it could save the life of someone if it did. The only problem is the stigma attached and I think it would be very off putting for some guests to see. Overdose kits are supplied free here if you choose to pick one up so it would not cost anything! Does anyone have a kit like this available in their Airbnb? Where do you keep it, how do you present it and how do you avoid a negative connotation with your listing for providing one? Tell me why it is a good or bad idea! Please no rude comments! I’ve hosted many stays, enough to know you cannot always vet your guests 100% and guests do not introduce themselves as having an opioid addiction. 

[Sarah977]

@Katrina79  I don't think it's a taboo subject, it's a good question. What I would be concerned about is legal liability. Say the guest ODed, you administered antidote, but the guest died. You could be held responsible.

And unless you found whatever drug  they had taken, how would you know for sure that they had ODed on opiods, rather than something else, or even mistake someone going into a diabetic coma or some other medical condition for a drug overdose? Personally, I wouldn't feel qualified to make that call.

[Katrina79]

@Sarah977 I wouldn’t be there…it would have to be someone else that noticed. However, I’m not afraid of being sued for administering Naloxone to save a life. Maybe the laws are different in Canada but don’t think it’s possible to win a negligence lawsuit for that. 
Good point though, if I was a home share host I would carry a kit and keep it out of view, problem solved. I’m worried about the guest reaction from the 99% that see the kit and would never need to use it. For the Naloxone kit to be useful it needs to be obvious, in view and easily accessible, well presumably anyway. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Katrina79 @Sarah977 

This is such an excellent topic, @Katrina79  - thanks for bringing it up.

Good to know that Canada has a Good Samaritan law.

First responders here carry Nalaxone, and it is used a lot, per the news reports. Before they started carrying it, they often wished they had it. 

Nalaxone is readily available here too, and it is such a valuable tool that imho it should be there with all the others.

I have a basic first aid kit in the guest bathroom, and a much more comprehensive one in my own, which can assist with first response to more complicated emergencies. Nalaxone is one of the tools in it. For me, it is like having a snake bite kit, compression bandages, a splint, a soft cervical collar, a fire extinguisher. Splints and bandages can be easily improvised with common household items, but, why, when the real thing is available at the local drug store? 

I keep a first aid kit in the house and the cars. I am a home share host who is required to be present whenever guests are. With my background, I think I'm in a better than average position to handle a medical emergency to the best of my ability until professionals arrive. 

I think Nalaxone may come under the category for absent hosts of what does one keep around, in reach of children? Who stays in your house, and are they responsible adults? Perhaps it is in the realm of who do we trust with care and safety of our house, with kitchen knives, a fireplace. Being an absent host seems to me in the category of giving a stranger the luxury car and keys. In my situation I would be very nervous leaving guests in charge of my complicated house, off grid power system, and wilderness location.  This discussion is an excellent one, with many variables and need of thinking and planning . 

[Richard531]

If it's free?  Grab one and put it in your bathroom next to the first aid kit.  Don't even mention it in your listing or in any other details!  And it's there just in case.  The chances of someone being lame/irritated with it are so, so, so low.  

In the unlikely event it's needed and someone asks, you're a life saver!  And if there's an issue and someone noticed it as they checked in (likely) then it's also there.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Richard531 

Absolutely! It is such a no brainer, it should just be there. On check in and walk around, mention the location of the first aid kit. I do, and I have a note on the bathroom wall saying where to find it. In an emergency people tend to panic and a simple note on the wall could help minimize that.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Katrina79 @Richard531 @Sarah977 

Here's another angle to this topic: CPR.

“Over 80 per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home. Effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, but only 32 per cent of cardiac arrest victims get CPR from a bystander.”

Is CPR training in our First Aid Kit as well? 

[Debra300]

@Katrina79,

The ability to get Naxolone/Narcan over the counter depends upon the country, region or state, because some areas require a prescription.  For hosts who plan to provide this drug, they should take measure to prominently display information regarding its administration and efficacy:  https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/naloxone

[Richard531]

It certainly can't hurt!  

It's great that you're being proactive and protective of your guest's health.  

Be sure you're applying that same energy to general responsiveness, thoroughness of instruction, and your great nature of hospitality!

[Ann72]

@Katrina79  You have a wonderful knack for thinking outside the box.  I think this is a great idea.

[Laura2592]

@Katrina79  sorry to disagree but there is no way would I include this in my listing. Its gives guests the idea that illegal drug use or RX drug abuse in my space is okay. There are liability issues if a kid gets a hold of it. And Its certainly not mandated.  I will stick to band aids and Neosporin, thanks. Nothing whatsoever to do with stigma.

Nor do I supply: Epi pens, allergy meds, prozac, defibrillators, condoms, migraine "hats" etc. Its great to be a caring host, but this (in my opinion) goes too far and opens the door to other issues. I am not a medical professional and would not feel comfortable giving strangers access to this sort of medication. History has shown that guest judgement is not always solid. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Laura2592 

My house rules prohibit drug use; however, for many people, an overdose could be prescription medicine gone wrong. I have Narcan in my own medical kit, and CPR in my bank of skills. And with you on that guests perhaps cannot be trusted with anything more serious than bandaids. That's another reason I am always present in my home share. As far as allergy meds, prozac, and other prescription meds - those are definitely not something anyone would or should have available. Anyone dependent on those would have their own supply from their doctor. Folks with serious allergies - bee stings and the like - carry an epi pen everywhere, and usually wear an alert bracelet. That is useful information for a first responder to know on a 911 call. 

As far as other items - I do keep feminine items in the guest bathroom, next to the bandaids. 

[Laura2592]

@Kitty-and-Creek0 I didn't used to provide feminine products, but now I have left a few. One guest left us 1 gross of condoms (100) which I donated to a local charity. I am sure he thought that was super helpful, but its not something I would include as part of my guest amenities.

We live in a lawsuit happy region and I am always careful to try and keep things as simple as possible. I think if other hosts are on site and feel comfortable with providing Narcan or something similar, great. But I am not. I see it raising a lot of possible issues with our guest population. 

[Anonymous]

@Laura2592  I can appreciate the liability and safety concerns around storing pharmaceuticals in the Airbnb. Prescription drugs are on the short list of personal items I advise hosts against storing anywhere guests can access.

But I think the concern about naxalone around children is misplaced. For one thing, the risk can be mitigated by storing first aid supplies out of the reach of children in a secure container. But more importantly, while an accidental dose of naxalone would not be fatal to a child, accidental contact with a prescription fentanyl patch can very quickly kill a child in the absence of the naxalone.

I agree that guest judgment is not always solid, and that's exactly why a well stocked first aid kit is necessary. 

The other point about the mere presence of an overdose elixir being perceived as an endorsement of illicit drug use may well apply to some guests, but people who are stupid enough to think that way are already not to be trusted in a house that contains Duraflame logs. Come on, really? It's not like the host is putting a crack pipe and syringes in the welcome basket. If we can look past the stigma, an overdose is a health emergency, not a moral one. 

I don't think this needs to be a consideration for most hosts, but it makes sense under a specific set of circumstances: the home is in a country with high rates of opioid use, the location can't get an ambulance fast, local laws don't prohibit accommodation providers from dispensing it, and the first aid supplies are well-labeled and secured. 

[Sarah977]

One medication I do keep on hand and show my home share guests where it is kept in the fridge, is Benedril. I would hope that anyone who is allergic to bee or wasp stings would carry an epipen, but because there are scorpions here, which many people have never had any experience with, taking an antihistamine right away can buy time before you can get to the hospital for anti-venom.