BROADWAY, Va. (WHSV) – Fentanyl overdoses are considered an epidemic in the United States.
According to Dr. Wilson Compton of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, recent data shows about a 40% increase in the number of deaths among teenagers and young adults due to the potent drug.
Saturday, the Broadway Rescue Squad took steps to save lives in the community.
They partnered with the Central Shenandoah Health District as part of the “Revive” campaign to help educate and distribute Narcan in communities.
The rescue squad offered free Narcan training and kits at the department.
“What happens is the breathing is repressed so the Narcan goes in and hopefully can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose,” Frank Sottaceti, EMT at Broadway Rescue Squad said.
Finding Narcan in smaller areas, like Broadway, can be difficult, which is why Broadway Emergency Squad wanted to hold this training to get more people in the community certified to use Narcan.
“This isn’t Richmond, but we have our overdose issues,” he said.
Sottaceti stressed it’s important to have Narcan in as many hands as possible since an overdose is not always intentional.
“It doesn’t have to be someone that is purposefully taking an opioid. It can also be someone that took a counterfeit medication that has fentanyl in it or an opioid in it, so it’s important that the community be empowered to help save a life,” he said.
The training took 5-10 minutes; then participants were given two doses of Narcan to carry with them, so when they are out in the community, if they run into someone experiencing an overdose they can help.
“They are empowered to help save a life because law enforcement and the ambulance squad and the fire departments can’t be everywhere.”
Sottaceti said they had a good turnout Saturday and the Broadway rescue squad plans on having these training sessions on a regular basis.
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