Help prevent opioid overdose with this free training
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 105,000 people died from drug overdoses in America in 2023. About 76% of those drug overdose deaths in 2023 involved opioids. Local organization NyE Communities Coalition (NyECC) is offering free training to help combat opioid overdose.
“If you’re taking an opioid or you know someone who is taking an opioid, you should be trained in Narcan because it could save their life,” NyECC Coalition and Community Coordinator Amy Fortin told the Pahrump Valley Times. “If by chance you use your Narcan for an individual who is unfortunately misusing substances, you’re still saving lives.”
Fortin has been doing NyECC’s naloxone (often referred to as Narcan) training for approximately a year and a half. Fortin does most of the naloxone trainings in the Pahrump area.
“Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist,” states the National Institute on Drug Abuse website. “This means that it attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of other opioids. Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose.”
Fortin further emphasized that these trainings are important not only for saving the lives of those who misuse opioids, but also because overdoses can occur among people who use prescription opioids.
“I’m trying to bring awareness to the community that Narcan training is not because you’re abusing medications or abusing substances, that Narcan training is for anyone, either yourself or a family member who is on prescription opioid pain pills because an overdose can happen at any point in time,” Fortin explained.
NyECC’s naloxone training is available to the community at no cost. Companies and organizations can request to have naloxone group training done at their place of business. Solo training is also available at the NyECC Pahrump office located at 1020 E. Wilson Road, by appointment only.
To schedule an individual or group naloxone training in or near Pahrump, contact Amy Fortin at amy@nyecc.org. Trainings can also be scheduled by contacting Michael Quattrocchi at michael@nyecc.org or (775) 727-9970, ext. 243.
For more information about the NyE Communities Coalition, visit nyecc.org.
Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at edulay@pvtimes.com
