Free Naloxone Training In Gaithersburg Offered By County

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Residents concerned about a friend or family member with an opioid addiction are invited to attend a free training to learn about reducing unintentional and life-threatening opioid overdoses with the use of Naloxone, a prescription medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

The two-hour training will be offered on Saturday, July 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Montgomery Baptist Church, located at 8605 Grovemont Circle in Gaithersburg.

Participants who complete the training will receive a free Naloxone kit. Tips on overdose prevention and resources detailing local and national resources will be provided. The training is free, but registration is required.

The county has seen a 145 percent increase in the number of fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses in the last four years, Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said at a January meeting.

Montgomery County Police responded to 57 non-fatal overdoses and 69 fatal overdoses in 2017, compared to 52 non-fatal and 40 fatal overdoses in 2014.

The rate of fatal drug and alcohol overdoses in the state continues at an epidemic pace, say state officials, who urged users to get into treatment before it's too late.

The Maryland Department of Health in late October released data for fatal overdoses for the second quarter of 2017, and the numbers show that opioid-related overdose deaths continue to skyrocket in the state.

Register by email at OverdoseResponseProgram@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-1836.

Sign language interpreter services will be provided only upon request, with notice as far in advance as possible, but no less than three full business days notice, prior to the day of the event. To request sign language interpreter services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please call Erin Fashion at 240-777-4538, MD Relay 711, or email overdoseresponseprogram@montgomerycountymd.gov.

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