Paramedics Use 2 Doses Of Narcan To Revive Man In Quincy

QUINCY (CBS) -- How pervasive is the opiate problem in our state? On any given day, four people die from overdoses in Massachusetts.

On Friday, a WBZ News team traveled with Brewster Ambulance paramedics in Quincy.

"It's a difficult problem, but I think we're seeing some light," said paramedic Chris DiBona.

When an overdose call came, two Brewster paramedic teams rushed to an apartment building, where a 43-year-old man was in a common area bathroom. He had overdosed and no longer had a heartbeat.

"The first thing we do is ventilate them, get an IV going, then administer Narcan," said paramedic Scott Volz.

After the second hit of Narcan, the victim started breathing again. He began spitting up blood, so the paramedics quickly got him to a hospital.

"It hits home," said paramedic Mark Gassiparo, "because I have kids and I hope this stuff isn't around when they grow up."

The day after WBZ cameras filmed the overdose victim being brought back to life, there were eight overdoses in Quincy alone.