Learn How to Administer Opiod Overdose Antidote

Every second counts when someone is overdosing, and too many young people are dying of an overdose, Westchester health officials say.

The County Department of Health wants to empower residents to save the lives of people who are overdosing on opiates, whether prescription drugs like Oxycodone or illegal drugs like heroin.

A Jan. 20 Narcan training session at the Mount Pleasant Public Library will teach attendees how to administer Narcan to save a life – it could be their child, their neighbor, or their best friend’s child. They also will learn how to safely dispose of unwanted prescription drugs so they don’t harm the environment or get misused by others.

Narcan training for first responders was launched as part of County Executive Astorino’s Safer Communities initiatives in May 2014, and was expanded to the public a year later. Since its inception, education about safe medication disposal has been included in the Narcan training sessions conducted by the county health department. Brochures that identify medication drop box locations throughout Westchester are distributed at every training session.

At least 17 lives in Westchester have been saved from an opioid overdose by police officers trained to administer Narcan. Since May 2014, more than 1,000 police officers and residents have learned to administer Narcan in Westchester. In 2015 alone, 447 police officers and 200 residents participated in the training.

Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD, wrote the prescriptions for the county to participate in the New York State Opioid Overdose Prevention Program, which provides free Narcan kits for those who have been trained to administer the drug. The county health department keeps the training records and distributes Narcan to county police.

Narcan training has been incorporated into the curriculum for all police recruits who attend the Westchester County Police Academy.

Training for the public and police continues.

Register for the Jan. 20 session online at www.westchestergov.com/health or call the Division of Health Promotion at 914.995.6584

The health department also shares the brochure on its web pages and presents information about safe medication disposal and the importance of protecting the environment and preventing prescription drug misuse at meetings with nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other health providers.