#Middlebury #OpioidCrisis #Narcan
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
Opportunities to learn more about our opioid crisis continue with a symposium for businesses on Oct. 4 and more training sessions for Narcan (naxolone) administration in October and November. As mentioned in our September issue, Connecticut’s Chief Medical Examiner Dr. James Gill has projected the number of accidental drug abuse deaths in our state will increase to 1,078, a 19-percent increase, by the end of this year.
Deaths are projected to be 644 due to fentanyl compared to 483 last year, about the same number due to heroin (514 this year compared to 508 last year) and fewer due to oxycodone (82 this year compared to 110 last year).
To address opioids in the workforce, the Connecticut Department of Public Health will host “The Opioid Crisis and Connecticut’s Workforce Symposium” Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017, from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. at Middlesex Community College, Chapman Hall, 808C & 808D, 100 Training Hill Road, Middletown, Conn.
This symposium is designed to bring together the business community and raise awareness about the impact of the opioid crisis on Connecticut employers. The symposium will highlight the legal and human perspective as well as help attendees identify strategies to support and retain addicted workers. This symposium is open to Connecticut business leaders, stakeholders and employers who have an interest in this topic.
Speakers include State Rep. Sean Scanlon, who sponsored Public Act 15-198: An Act Concerning Substance Abuse and Opioid Overdose Protection. To help combat the epidemic of prescription drug and heroin abuse, the bill requires prescription drug abuse education for doctors and other prescribers, cracks down on “doctor shopping” for prescription drugs, and allows pharmacists to provide life-saving anti-overdose drugs like Narcan over the counter.
The symposium registration form can be found at tinyurl.com/yap5ceqj. A confirmation email will be sent acknowledging your registration. Please contact Deborah Pease if you have any questions or need additional information at deborah.pease@ct.gov or 860-509-7771.
Narcan training sessions scheduled by the Central Naugatuck Valley Regional Action Council (CNVRAC) continue this month and next. The free two-hour sessions are open to the public.
CNVRAC Executive Director Jennifer DeWitt said of the training, “It’s for anyone that might be around somebody who has a drug problem – family member, friend, partner. It’s appropriate for a lot of different people. We want everyone to know how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an overdose.”
As the flyers for these sessions say, “Every time a life is saved, that person has an opportunity to enter into treatment and get the support they need to recover. Prevention works. Treatment is effective. People do recover.”
Sessions will include: overdose prevention strategies, signs and symptoms of overdose, how to administer naloxone, Good Samaritan law, and support information and resources. Narcan kits will be available, and pharmacists will be present at some sessions. Please bring your insurance card.
Register for a session by calling 203-578-4044 or emailing CNVRAC1@famintervention.com. Please indicate which training date and location you prefer. That information follows.
- Thomaston: Monday, Oct. 2, 6-8 pm, Thomaston Volunteer Ambulance Corps, 237 S. Main St.
- Waterbury: Wednesday, Oct. 4, 6-8 pm, Neighborhood Housing, 161 N. Main St.
- Waterbury: Tuesday, Oct. 10, 5-7 pm, Family Intervention Center, 22 Chase River Road
- Waterbury; Wednesday, Oct. 11, 9-11 am, Naugatuck Valley Community College, Kinney Hall, Rm. K715
- Prospect: Monday, Oct. 16, 6-8 pm, Prospect Fire Department, 26 New Haven Road
- Waterbury: Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6-8 pm, Uplifting a Life Church, 42 Ives St.
- Waterbury: Thursday, Oct. 19, 5-7 pm, Salvation Army, 74 Central Ave.
- Bethlehem: Tuesday, Nov. 14, 6-8 pm, Bethlehem Volunteer Ambulance Association, 83 Main St. S.
