SUNY Morrisville hosts narcan training in response to opioid epidemic
SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus Professor Mark Blakeslee distributed Narcan kits and trained individuals on how to use them at Thursday afternoon’s seminar. (Zachary Meseck photo)
NORWICH – The SUNY Morrisville Human Services Institute presented a community forum on Narcan training on Thursday with criminal justice professor Mark Blakeslee heading the presentation.
The training took place in the community room, also know as 132A and B of Follett Hall on the SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus. Narcan is a brand name for Naloxone, is a medication that works to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses.
According to Blakeslee, many of the people who are overdosing are generally the victims in the drug world, not the dealers.
"I grew up in a time where people referred to users as the junkie," he said. "Today, that doesn't apply to us, the user could be anyone – even our own kids."
Blakeslee said with heroin and meth usage rising, many people, even friends or family may become addicted, making Narcan training more useful now more than ever.
"I think we can all name at least one person that are close to us that have been effected by opioid usage," he said. "The problem is here."
Those who attended the class received Narcan kits and certification cards to present to emergency medical staff if needed.
Organizers of the forum that occurred before the training session also spoke on the necessity of Narcan training and kit availability.
"This may save someone else's life," said one of the organizers of the forum, SUNY Morrisville student and Human Services major, Gannon Rockwell. "Living in a small community we tend to feel like we are sheltered from the opioid epidemic; the reality is that we aren't."
The community forum was organized by four students: Rockwell, SUNY Morrisville Nursing major Mariah Nguyen, and Oxford High School and SUNY Morrisville students Genevieve Gorman and Allison Paster.
Paster spoke on the opioid issue and said, "I would hope people will be more aware that this is a real issue, and will be more aware of the impact [opioids] have on you, not only physically but mentally, and not only on yourself but on everyone around you, either directly or indirectly."
– Sun Staff Writer Grady Thompson contributed to this story.
The training took place in the community room, also know as 132A and B of Follett Hall on the SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus. Narcan is a brand name for Naloxone, is a medication that works to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses.
According to Blakeslee, many of the people who are overdosing are generally the victims in the drug world, not the dealers.
"I grew up in a time where people referred to users as the junkie," he said. "Today, that doesn't apply to us, the user could be anyone – even our own kids."
Blakeslee said with heroin and meth usage rising, many people, even friends or family may become addicted, making Narcan training more useful now more than ever.
"I think we can all name at least one person that are close to us that have been effected by opioid usage," he said. "The problem is here."
Those who attended the class received Narcan kits and certification cards to present to emergency medical staff if needed.
Organizers of the forum that occurred before the training session also spoke on the necessity of Narcan training and kit availability.
"This may save someone else's life," said one of the organizers of the forum, SUNY Morrisville student and Human Services major, Gannon Rockwell. "Living in a small community we tend to feel like we are sheltered from the opioid epidemic; the reality is that we aren't."
The community forum was organized by four students: Rockwell, SUNY Morrisville Nursing major Mariah Nguyen, and Oxford High School and SUNY Morrisville students Genevieve Gorman and Allison Paster.
Paster spoke on the opioid issue and said, "I would hope people will be more aware that this is a real issue, and will be more aware of the impact [opioids] have on you, not only physically but mentally, and not only on yourself but on everyone around you, either directly or indirectly."
– Sun Staff Writer Grady Thompson contributed to this story.
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