WASHINGTON — It’s not just police and emergency medical technicians who are carrying Narcan, the lifesaving drug used to counter an opioid overdose. Opioid users and their friends and family are being trained and supplied with Narcan.
In the shadow of the growing opioid addiction crisis, demand is high for training sessions on how to respond to an overdose, so Loudoun County hosted one Wednesday night in Leesburg, Virginia. The class, called REVIVE!, was filled within hours of being publicized, according to organizers.
In the training sessions, individuals are taught how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose. The training is being conducted across Virginia, and more sessions will be scheduled later in the fall in Loudoun County.
“The goal of REVIVE! is to save lives by reducing the number of overdose emergencies in the commonwealth,” said Bernadette Binns, a REVIVE! trainer with the Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services.
Following the hourlong session, trainees take home two doses of Narcan.
“What we’re giving out is one that folks squirt in the nose of a person who may be overdosing, so there are no needles involved — very safe and very easy to do,” said Dr. David Goodfriend, Loudoun County’s director of health.
Opioid addiction has been declared a public health emergency in both Virginia and Maryland.
