"Narcan in my handbag": The anti-doping antidote extends to the public as the opioid epidemic continues

Andy O 'Brien has plunged into the subject of opiate abuse such as heroin or prescription pills. People need help and DuPage County needs help to fight the problem, he admitted.

"We can not help people to improve if they are dead," said O. Brien. For this reason, health officials from O & B County, Brien County and DuPage County administered Narcan, the antidote to naloxone, to all who were present on Wednesday. a meeting on the abuse of opioids

. Wheaton headquarters, giving participants insights into opioids, antidotes, and overdose management. The dozen present left the session with the Narcan spray, with some instructions on how to use the antidote, which reverses an opioid overdose almost instantly.

"I can now wear a Narcan in my bag," said Daniela Munoz, an employee of Glen Ellyn's Teen Parent Connection. Teen Parent Connection employees like Munoz work with at-risk members of the community, including those who are struggling with substance abuse.

Wednesday was the second public session this year by the DuPage County Health Department on the use of narcanes and opioid overdose awareness. Training is a necessity in the county because the "frightening realities" of heroin overdoses remain a major concern in DuPage, health officials said.

In 2017, 95 people died of an opioid overdose, according to county statistics. 2016. The number of lives saved with Narcan has increased from 145 in 2016 to 175 in 2017, according to county statistics.

O & # 39; Brien said that municipalities and agencies must work together to prevent new deaths. As a result, training sessions on the use of spray have gone beyond the scope of law enforcement and emergency responders.

A training session in Lisle in the spring drew an excessive crowd, said the district spokesman. Another session for the public is scheduled for later in the summer.

O. Brien gave Wednesday's Wheaton hearing a quick course on opioids and how naloxone antidotes work to combat overdoses, among other topics.

Narcan on someone by video and in person.

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