County Executive Lamont G. McClure and the Northampton County Drug and Alcohol Division are providing free training sessions on naloxone to all members of the public.
A press release advertised the continuation of what the county calls H.O.P.E. Training, short for Heroin and Opioid Prevention Education. The training is part of their fentanyl awareness campaign titled Fake is Real.
During the training, attendees can expect to learn the difference between types of opioids, how to identify signs and symptoms of drug abuse and overdose, how to safely store and dispose of prescription medications, and how to administer NARCAN. Community resources for those struggling with drug addiction or abuse will also be provided, and free NARCAN kits will be handed out to attendees.
Northampton County’s Fake is Real campaign website explains that NARCAN is a nasal spray that can be used to reverse a fentanyl overdose. The medicine is described as “safe, easy-to-use” and “life-saving.”
Act 139, also referred to as Good Samaritan Laws, allows limited immunity from possession of drugs for individuals who seek help for someone experiencing a drug overdose. It also allows anyone to get NARCAN with no prescription.
The campaign highlights the fact that 57% of deaths caused by drug overdoses happen in the individual’s home, showing how important it is for community members to have NARCAN in their possession and know how to administer it.
Lamont G. McClure emphasized that “education and training are the first steps in the County fighting against substance abuse and addiction.”
The trainings will take place on November 6 at 1:30 PM at Northampton County Courthouse located at 669 Washington Street in Easton, and on November 21 at 10 AM and 5:30 PM at the Northampton County Department of Human Services Building located at 2801 Emrick Boulevard in Bethlehem.
Anyone interested in the training should contact Gretchen Hill at ghill@norcopa.gov.
