NyE Communities Coalition offering Naloxone training to help save lives

The NyE Communities Coalition will host a free training course on Naloxone, the drug used to counteract an opioid overdose, today from 2 to 3 p.m. and all participants who complete the training will receive one dose of Naloxone nasal spray, arming them in the event that they need to spring into action and save a life.

With the COVID-19 pandemic creating fallout in nearly every aspect of daily life and health experts predicting a rise in drug abuse because of the public health crisis, it is imperative that residents be ready to act in the face of the very real possibility of someone they know dying from an overdose.

According to an article by Dr. Peter Grinspoon on the Harvard Health Publishing website, the isolation forced upon people during the COVID-19 outbreak can increase the risk of overdose deaths.

“Heightened anxiety is a near-universal trigger for drug use and it is difficult to think of a more stressful event, for all of us, than this pandemic,” Grinspoon wrote.

He noted that with an overloaded health care system, the risk of someone dying from an overdose spikes, because first responders, stretched and strained as they are, may arrive less quickly than they would in normal times.

This underscores the need to have additional safety nets in local communities, and everyday citizens can play a big part in keeping someone alive, whether that person is overdosing from illicit opioids or from opioid-based prescription medications.

When experiencing an overdose, every moment matters. Having residents poised to react in the event that someone they know or are around overdoses is one way of helping curb the increased risk of overdose deaths.

To get involved in today’s training all a resident needs to do is visit https://bit.ly/3bLbp0c and fill out a simple registration form. Once complete, the phone number and link to join the training will be sent to the registrant. Those who wish to do the training on their smart phone should download the Zoom app first.

This is not the only Naloxone training opportunity available, either. The NyECC’s offer of training is ongoing, all part of its effort to help provide a safe, healthy community for all to enjoy.

“During this most difficult time, NyE Communities Coalition is offering Naloxone trainings over the phone and through Zoom to the community, along with the lifesaving drug Naloxone delivered to your home or available for you to pick up at our office,” a news release from the coalition stated. “Naloxone can save someone from an opioid drug overdose. That someone could be you, your loved one, a neighbor or anyone who takes prescription opioid medication or uses illicit drugs that are opiates.”

Anyone interested in receiving training on how to administer Naloxone nasal spray can contact Michael Quattrocchi at 775-727-9970, extension 222 to schedule training and arrange to have a Naloxone overdose kit delivered to them.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com