ROANOKE, Va. – As we wait for Narcan to be available over the counter, more people are wanting to learn about how it can be used to help with an opioid overdose.
Radford University Carilion students and staff all went through ‘REVIVE!’ naloxone training on Thursday afternoon. ‘REVIVE!’ provides training on how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose emergency using naloxone.
Some of the 10 News team also got trained alongside the students.
A lot of the training focused on how an overdose can happen and how naloxone works. Naloxone is the only effective response to an opioid overdose emergency, according to the ‘REVIVE!’ training.
Narcan is the common brand name for the generic naloxone. In late March, Narcan was the first naloxone spray to be approved for over-the-counter use.
10 News spoke with Danny Clawson, the Executive Director of the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition shortly after the FDA approved it.
“My goal is to have Narcan in every first aid kit, in every car, in every school, in every office building. Narcan should readily be available anywhere because you never know when you’re going to come across somebody that needs help,” Clawson said.
Clawson and her team do a lot in the Roanoke Valley to help families and those struggling with opioid addiction. She said having Narcan available for everyone is something they hope will save more lives.
“Being able to arm yourself with Narcan, you are ready at a moment’s notice to save the life of a family member, of a friend, of a neighbor, of a random person on the street that you don’t even know,” Clawson said.
You can find out more about how to schedule a ‘REVIVE!’ training by clicking this link.