Members of Community Board 10 will receive free Narcan training at the start of the June full board meeting, to be held on Monday, June 18, courtesy of one local councilmember.
“Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet for the opioid crisis. When you are trying to combat an epidemic, you’ve gotta put everything on the table and free overdose prevention trainings are a very important tool in this fight,” said Councilmember Justin Brannan, who was credited by CB 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann at the board’s May meeting for bringing the lesson to board members. “It’s simple: by empowering people with the skills needed to administer lifesaving Naloxone, we can save lives.”
Narcan is the brand name for Naloxone, an opioid antagonist medication used to reverse the effects of a related overdose.
Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst, Brannan noted, have been among some of the most severely impacted neighborhoods in the city when it comes to overdose deaths.
“That’s why everyone should know the availability and effectiveness of this important medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses,” said the pol, who earlier this year introduced a pair of bills aimed at increasing education on the opioid epidemic.
Despite its urgency, opioid education is not currently taught in New York City public schools.
The meeting, which will also serve as the board’s last before it breaks for the summer, will be held at the Fort Hamilton Senior Center, 9941 Fort Hamilton Parkway.
CB 10 encompasses Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Fort Hamilton.