River Oaks Hosts Free Narcan Training Event

International Overdose Awareness Day is coming up at the end of August, and River Oaks will stream free virtual Narcan training ahead of the event on August 30^th at 4pm.

What Is Narcan?

Narcan is an easy-to-use nasal spray form of the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone. Narcan can be obtained and used by laypersons and is widely available at pharmacies across the state, where it may be purchased without a prescription.

Naloxone works by binding to opioid receptors to reverse and block the effects of opioids. It has no effect when opioids are not present in a person’s body; however, for someone who has taken opioids and is overdosing, it works very rapidly to restore their breathing to normal and can save their life.

When to Use Naloxone

Naloxone (Narcan) can be used whenever you suspect you’re witnessing an overdose on opioids (heroin, fentanyl, or prescription painkillers). Signs of an opioid overdose include the following:

• Pinpoint pupils.
• Faint heartbeat.
• Limp limbs.
• Pale skin and/or purplish lips and fingernails.
• Trouble speaking.
• Vomiting.
• Slowed or stopped breathing.
• Loss of consciousness.

If you’re scared to respond to an overdose because you’re in possession of a controlled substance, understand that Florida does have a 911 Good Samaritan Act that provides legal protection for you when you act to respond to overdose. The law states that you cannot be charged for possession if:

• You were acting in good faith to help yourself or another overdosing person, and
• The discovery of the drug possession was made as a result of an attempt to seek assistance in an overdose emergency.

Opioid Overdoses in Florida

Drug-related deaths are continuing to rise in Florida, increasing by 17% between 2019 and 2020. Opioids are the most common cause of overdose deaths in Florida. In 2020, 36 people per 100,000 died from overdoses. The large majority of these are opioid-involved; the same year, 29 people per 100,000 died from opioid overdose. This represents a 42% increase in opioid-related overdose deaths from the previous year.

Growing fentanyl access and the adulteration of street drugs and counterfeit pills with the synthetic opioid is contributing to the increase in opioid overdose. Fentanyl was determined to be the cause of more than 5,3000 deaths in FL in 2020 alone.

Prescription drug misuse is a continuing concern for Floridians. More than 9,000 people in Florida who died in 2020 were found to have at least one Rx drug in their body at the time of death. Prescription medications such as opioids and benzodiazepines cause more overdose deaths in the state than illegal drugs.

With opioid overdoses continually rising, the time to educate yourself about the signs of overdose and how to use Narcan is now. River Oaks staff will guide you through the steps to recognize an overdose emergency, seek emergency help, and use Narcan to reverse an overdose before it’s too late.