Did you know that with just an hour and a half of your time, you can learn a skill that could one day save a life?
Throughout July, the New Jersey State Library has announced free naloxone training for anyone interested in learning. These free workshops are presented by Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Sessions are entirely free to attend and will be held virtually. You can enroll for the following dates:
- July 20th, 2023, from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
- July 26th, 2023, from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
If interested in attending, registration is available here: Register – Naloxone Training. Throughout the afternoon, guests will have the opportunity to learn about several life-saving overdose prevention techniques and rescue breathing. Upon the seminar’s conclusion, all attendees will be mailed one naloxone kit that will be sent via UPS. These seminars play an important role in facilitating conversation around this topic and educating the public on how they can be a part of the solution. Through hosting these seminars, the New Jersey State Library hopes to encourage the sharing and gathering of ideas that can be utilized in developing future programming. Please be aware that receiving a naloxone kit after the training is solely at the attendee’s discretion.
You may have read about it in the news or seen it talked about on TV, but what exactly is naloxone? Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that is designed for use in the case of suspected opioid overdose. Some warning signs of potential opioid overdose include respiratory and central nervous system depression, a limp body, extreme paleness, and more. Naloxone can be used as an emergency intervention if opioid use is suspected, but it should not be utilized as a substitute for emergency medical care and evaluation. Naloxone can aid in reversing opioid overdose by blocking the effects of opioids in the brain and helping to restore breathing. Both the American Medical Association and the American Public Health Association endorse the availability of take-home naloxone in case of emergency.
As the opioid crisis continues to surge throughout the United States and in our communities, we must all have the skills necessary to intervene. Much like CPR or the Heimlich maneuver, although you may not need these techniques daily, having these skills in your toolkit can one day play a crucial role in saving someone’s life. If you cannot attend this training session but still wish to be notified about future training offered by the NJSL, please get in touch with Andrea Levandowski at alevandowski@njstatelib.org for further details. Don’t miss your chance to become a real-world superhero; take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.
