The Health Department of Saratoga County is focusing its efforts on promoting awareness about preventing overdoses. The department has planned 29 Narcan distribution and training sessions across the county scheduled for this Tuesday. This upcoming event will be their sixth occurrence of holding such a Narcan training day.
This year’s training will offer the most diverse assortment of events since the program’s beginning, according to Erin Murray, the Health Supervising Epidemiologist for Saratoga County. The initiative has been organized in partnership with several entities, including Saratoga Hospital, Healing Springs, and various law enforcement agencies.
The previous year saw the training of more than 300 individuals during the county’s Narcan Training Day. While the previous year’s program involved 19 distinct locations providing this training, this year’s initiative has expanded to 29 locations across the area, indicating a significant growth compared to last year.
Rachel Maxwell, Director of Community Health at Saratoga County Department of Health, confirms that the demand for Narcan training continues to rise in line with increased overdose rates across the county and beyond. The county officials are often approached by residents and local businesses requesting Narcan training, prompting the department to organize these events to help meet this growing need in the community.
Participants who attend these quick, free 10-minute training sessions will be given a complimentary Narcan rescue kit, which includes two doses of Narcan. They will also be taught how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer nasal Narcan effectively.
The Good Samaritan Law encourages bystanders to report any suspected overdoses by contacting 911, providing legal protection to the caller and the potential overdose victim. This law removes the fear of prosecution and facilitates urgent help for those in need of immediate medical attention.
Narcan, known in the medical world as Naloxone, is a crucial life-saving medication capable of reversing an opioid overdose. Opioids encompass a range of substances, including prescription medications like oxycodone, illicit drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, and others like morphine and methadone.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have observed that powerful opioids like fentanyl are often laced with other drugs, including cocaine or methamphetamine. Maxwell and Murray note the common occurrence of poly-use, where people consume more than one substance at once.
In uncertain situations where it’s difficult to determine precisely which substances were used, administering Narcan can still be a valid first response. ‘Even if Narcan is administered to one who may not need it, it won’t cause harm. If a health emergency arises and the exact cause is unknown, it is always best to call 911’, emphasizes Maxwell.
The knowledge about when and how to use Narcan, coupled with recognizing opioid overdose symptoms, is another ‘tool in your tool belt’, Maxwell explains, paralleling it to the essential first aid skill of knowing how to perform CPR. Being equipped with Narcan does not imply that you might use it on yourself or on someone you personally know, rather it’s a resource that can potentially save a life in the community.
The New York State Opioid Annual Report for 2023 displayed the alarming reality of the opioid crisis in the region. The 2020 data shows 38 opioid-related fatalities in Saratoga County, 17 in Warren County, and 16 in Washington County. Unfortunately, this deadly toll rose in 2021 with Saratoga County reporting 40 deaths, Warren County staying at 17, and Washington County reporting 13 deaths.
A broader view of the situation in New York State in general reflects a concerning growth in opioid-involved mortality rates. The State Opioid Report indicates a steady rise in the number of such deaths in the state from 2,166 in 2015, to 2,939 deaths in 2019 and peaking at 5,017 deaths in 2021.
‘Narcan should be accessible to everyone given its potential to save lives in an emergency situation,’ states Murray, reinforcing the importance of widespread availability and knowledge of this vital antidote for opioid overdose.
To access the free training sessions, interested individuals are advised to visit any of the following locations on the appointed Tuesday: Ballston Lake EMS, Ballston Spa Police Department, the Catholic Charities Schuylerville Office, the Community Emergency Corps EMS in Ballston Spa, or Clifton Park-Halfmoon EMS.
Other accessible locations include the Edinburg EMS, the Galway EMS, at Greenfield Town Hall, Healing Springs, or Meme’s Florist & Gifts. Malta-Stillwater EMS, Mechanicville (CP-HM) EMS, the Mechanicville Senior Centre, Moreau EMS, and O’Brien Pharmacy are also hosting the training.
The training will also take place at Saratoga County Mental Health & Addiction Services, Saratoga Fire, Saratoga Hospital Community Health Center, Saratoga Hospital’s Main Location and other departments, Saratoga Springs Police Department, and Wilton EMS.
Lastly, the training sessions will also be held at Waterford EMS and Wellspring. Each location has designated hours for the training, and some require a prior phone call or email to secure participation. The measure aims to equip as many people as possible with this life-saving tool, in response to the increasing opioid crisis.