Luis Laboy, with the help of Eduardo Santiago, demonstrates how to recognize an unconscious person who may have overdosed.
Photo courtesy of the office of Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.
Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. concluded his fourth Naloxone/Narcan training series this summer with a session at South Ozone Park.
The Queens assemblyman hosted the season’s final training on the life-saving drug at the Akal Care Social Adult Day Care facility on Wednesday, July 31, with over 60 participants.
During the training, participants learn to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer naloxone, better known by the brand name Narcan, to potentially save lives.
Addabbo stressed the importance of learning how to use naloxone and how important it is in combating the larger problem of opioid use.
“It is critical for all members of our community to learn how to administer naloxone. In the event of an opioid overdose, the knowledge and ability to be armed with this tool can mean the difference between life and death,” said Addabbo. “By equipping ourselves with this information and skills, we can actively help save lives and combat the devastating impact of opioid addiction in our society.”
The Acacia Network, one of the city’s leading social service providers, partnered with the Queens Village Committee for Mental Health for J-CAP (Jamaica Community Adolescents Program) and partnered with Addabbo to provide naloxone use training throughout Queens.
Members of the Richmond Hill-South Ozone Park Lions Club attended the event in South Ozone Park and were equally impressed by the impact of the life-saving drug.
“The Lions Club of Richmond Hill-South Ozone Park is deeply committed to initiatives that improve the well-being of our community. Our collaboration with Senator Addabbo and the Acacia Network for this naloxone training is a testament to that commitment,” said Romeo Hall, District Governor of the Lions Club of Brooklyn and Queens. “We believe that by educating people on how to deal with opioid overdoses, we are giving them the knowledge and tools they need to save lives.”
Acacia Network representatives Luis Laboy, senior administrator of residential programs, and Dr. David Collymore, chief medical director, were joined by Eduardo Santiago, a certified recovery advocate, who demonstrated how to administer naloxone to someone in need. Arturo Hernandez, an outreach coordinator, also joined them.
Signs of an opioid overdose include stopping breathing, blue lips and blue fingertips, according to experts. It is important to check responsiveness by rubbing your knuckles up and down the person’s sternum to elicit a pain response, then call 911 immediately.
Opioid overdose cases are common in people who take or come into contact with OxyContin, fentanyl, methadone, and Vicodin. Naloxone/Narcan is considered a life-saving drug because it can cancel and temporarily reverse the effects of an overdose.
Naloxone is administered in the form of a nasal spray, which is convenient and easy to use. Upon attending and completing the training, you will receive a naloxone kit to take home and a certificate of participation.
In all cases of opioid overdose, experts advise calling 911 immediately, regardless of the effects of naloxone. If a person does not respond to the first dose, additional doses of the antidote may be administered, but in all cases, professional medical evaluation is required.
Addabbo presented awards to both Acacia representatives, Laboy and Collymore, to thank them for their continued cooperation in these trainings. The duo, in turn, praised Addabbo’s continued leadership.
Senator Addabbo plans to continue offering Naloxone/Narcan training throughout his district this fall.
