The public is invited to attend a free education and training session on the life-saving drug naloxone from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14 at the Red Bridge Park Community Building in Cicero. The event is being co-sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Cicero and the Hamilton North Friends of the Library.
Ginder
Jim Ginder, Health Education Specialist, Hamilton County Health Department, will show attendees how to save lives through administering the opiate antidote naloxone, which is sold under the drug name Narcan. It’s one way local citizens can be prepared with the knowledge and use of this life-saving treatment in the event of an opioid overdose by someone in their home, neighborhood, work, church, or other community locations.
Ginder, who is the Health Education Specialist for the Hamilton County Health Department, has dedicated the better part of more than two decades to accessing local health needs and developing presentations on all topics related to public health and safety education.
A grant provided by the Indiana Department of Health for the Narcan treatment helps provide the funding for Ginder to educate lay people around the county about the opioid drug problem, signs and symptoms of use and abuse, prevention tips and how to administer Narcan in the case of an overdose. Those who attend a training session leave with one dose of the medicine which they can keep or donate it to their local police or fire department.
“While we may be the healthiest county in the state, we’re not immune from this nationwide problem,” explained Ginder. “This problem extends into every corner of our county and it’s going to take every one of us to fight it.”
This multi-faceted issue can start out simply as a prescription for pain reduction after surgery or for a chronic condition that can escalate into addiction. Individuals of all ages who may experiment with combining prescription painkillers and/or trying street drugs like heroin or fentanyl could quickly find themselves into the throws of addiction. An overdose episode does not discriminate. It could happen the first time or into years of overuse. The Hamilton County Coroner’s office investigated 36 drug over dose deaths from the county last year and found the majority of those overdose deaths were individuals between the ages of 25 and 29.
“We hope members of our community will come out in force to take advantage of this one-hour educational workshop right in our backyard,” said Keith Ecker, President, Cicero Kiwanis. “This is a timely topic and an opportunity to be trained to potentially save a life during a medical emergency with this proven treatment. Communities are key to making a difference and reducing the upward trend of opioid addiction.
“No one plans to overdose but it can and does happen,” continued Ginder, who has handed out nearly 200 doses of Narcan over the past year. “Individuals can take too much of the drug or it can be cut with a bad batch. Those most at risk of an overdose fatality are those coming out of rehab and who relapse. They ingest a dose in amounts they took prior to treatment and having a lower tolerance post-treatment, can result in an overdose. Naloxone has no effect on non-opioid overdoses (e.g., cocaine, benzodiazepines, or alcohol).”