Training sessions for those interested in learning how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose using Naloxone (Narcan) will be held in several Union County municipalities.
The training, offered by Roselle-based Prevention Links, is free and no registration is required. During the training, residents will be instructed on how to “recognize an opioid overdose and properly and safely administer the drug.”
According Sean Foley, Prevention Links substance abuse navigator, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office reports there were 307 overdoses and 116 overdose fatalities in Union County in 2018. Foley added, “Overdose education and Naloxone distribution programs have been shown to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths (cost effectively) but are underutilized. While paramedics and law enforcement carry naloxone, the transportation time to render the emergency service can cause a potentially fatal delay.”
Workshops are being held in Springfield, Rahway, Scotch Plains, Elizabeth, Roselle, Summit, Union, and Plainfield. The following are workshop dates and locations:
- Jan. 29, 6 p.m., Connecticut Farms Church, 888 Stuyvesant Ave., Union
- Feb. 1, 11 a.m., St. Joseph’s Social Service Center, 118 Division St., Elizabeth
- Feb. 7, 6 p.m., Prevention Links, 121 Chestnut St., Roselle
- Feb. 12, 6 p.m., Rahway Recreation Center, 275 E. Milton Ave., Rahway
- Feb. 19, 6 p.m., Organization for Recovery, 519 North Ave., Plainfield
- Feb. 21, 6 p.m., RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center, 2120 Lamberts Mill Road, Scotch Plains
- Feb. 26, 6 p.m., Connecticut Farms Church, 888 Stuyvesant Ave., Union
- March 1, 11 a.m., St. Joseph’s Social Service Center, 118 Division St., Elizabeth
- March 7, 6 p.m., Prevention Links, 121 Chestnut St., Roselle
- March 12, 6 p.m., Summit Oaks, 19 Prospect St., Summit
- March 14, 6 p.m., Rahway Recreation Center, 275 E. Milton Ave., Rahway
- March 21, 6 p.m., RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center, 2120 Lamberts Mill Road, Scotch Plains
- March 27, 6 p.m., R.C. Community Center, 100 S. Springfield Ave., Springfield.
Prevention Links is a private, not-for-profit organization that works to take a “leadership role in the prevention of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and related issues.”
For more information, contact Foley or substance abuse navigator Lisa Federico at 732-381-4100.