By Forum Staff
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Woodhaven) will host a Naloxone training and certification event in partnership with J-CAP (part of the Acacia Network) at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at Rego Park Library, located at 91-41 63rd Drive.
The event is co-sponsored by Community Board 6’s Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Committee.
Participants will learn how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and how to respond using Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan. Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate and a Naloxone kit.
“This event is so important because it could help people save a life, “Addabbo said. “In case of an overdose, you only have minutes to react and respond, and Naloxone is essential to being the one before 911.”
Photo Courtesy of Narcan
Narcan is an antidote for opioid overdoses, and it can temporarily reverse the effects of opioids.
In 2022, 3,026 New Yorkers died of a drug overdose, a 12-percent increase from 2021 (2,696 deaths), and the highest number since reporting began in 2000, according to a data brief by the City Department of Health.
Opioids include Percocet, fentanyl, methadone, and Vicodin. Naloxone can also reverse overdoses from street drugs like heroin. Naloxone is an antidote for opioid overdoses, and it can temporarily reverse the effects of opioids by binding to the same receptors in the brain. The nasal spray form of naloxone is a convenient and easy-to-use method of administration. Addabbo noted.
Space is limited. Walk-ins are welcome. First come, first served. For more information, call Addabbo’s district office at (718) 738-1111.
