East Meadow, NY - May 9, 2014 - Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, in partnership with Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves, County Legislators Laura Schaefer and Rose Walker, and New York State Senator Jack Martins announce a series of Overdose Prevention and Drug Abuse Awareness events in each of their districts.
Participants will learn to recognize the signs of an Opioid overdose, attempt rescue breathing and how to administer a medication called Naloxone or Narcan that can reverse the fatal effects of an overdose on Heroin or prescription painkillers to save a person’s life.
Since becoming State-certified as an Overdose Responder Program in late 2012, County officials from the Office of Mental Health & Chemical Dependency have hosted more than 50 such events and trained more than 1,500 citizens on how to administer Narcan. Attendees over the age of 18 will receive a free Narcan kit at the end of the training program.
The events, which run from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., will also feature a panel of experts in the field of substance abuse, who can answer questions about prevention, treatment and education.
No prior medical experience is necessary to participate in the training. Narcan has been on ambulances and in emergency rooms for decades; however, State law allows ordinary citizens to administer it in an emergency situation without fear of a lawsuit or arrest. All trainees will receive a certificate of completion.
NARCAN TRAINING SESSIONS:
- May 19th at Carle Place Middle School/High School: 168 Cherry Lane, Carle Place (parking in rear).
- May 28th at East Meadow Library: 1886 Front Street, East Meadow.
- June 5th at Hicksville Community Center: 28 W Carl Street, Hicksville.
- July 17th at Elmont Firehouse: 95 Lehrer Avenue, Elmont.
To attend, please RSVP to Eden Laikin at elaikin@nassaucountyny.gov or by calling (516) 571-6105.