Community Narcan training set for July 19

The Quay County Health Council next week is offering free training on how to use Narcan to revive those who have overdosed on opioids.

The council is offering the training at 3 p.m. July 19 at the Extension Office at 216 E Center St. in Tucumcari. The training will last about 45 minutes and include how to identify an opioid overdose, how to use Narcan and follow-up care of an overdose victim. Narcan kits will be provided to participants.

One also may participate in the training over Zoom by contacting the Health Council at [email protected] or c575-815-4575 for the link.

Several Health Council members recently completed training to offer training to community members on using Naloxone, or Narcan, to revive victims of an opioid overdose. Minutes matter when an overdose occurs. It takes between two and five minutes without breathing for cardiac arrest to occur.

Opioid abusers range from preteens to senior citizens. Prescriptions for opioids are provided to those who have severe pain, cancer or are recovering from surgery.

But sometimes accidents happen; a child may get into the medicine, the patient forgets and takes an extra dose, or there is a reaction with other medications that a patient is taking.

In addition to prescription opioids, a lethal form of fentanyl is being sold in Quay County. Illicit fentanyl is available in a pill that looks like oxycodone and is a powder that is being mixed with methamphetamine, heroin and even marijuana.

It is important that substance users never use alone and that the people around the user know how to use Narcan and where the Narcan is. Narcan is available to misusers free of charge through Harm Reduction. It is also available free for people with Medicaid. A friend or family member taking this short training can help save his or her life.

If you would like to be trained but can not attend the July 19 training, contact the Health Council at [email protected] or call or text 575-815-4575 to schedule a training.