North Shore Narcan Training Offered As Part Of Public Health Week

BEVERLY, MA — North Shore residents are invited to take part in a free online Narcan training course as part of National Public Health Week.

The North Shore Public Health Collaborative is offering a virtual 45-minute course on April 6 that helps residents recognize and react quickly and effectively to save someone who is suffering from an opioid overdose.

The course will take place from 6 to 6:45 p.m. with registration available here.

"Carrying Narcan is one more way that we can care for our community members," Peabody Public Nurse Chassea Robinson said in advance of a similar initiative in February. "Learning how to respond to an overdose is similar to learning CPR.

"You never know when you may need it to save someone's life."

Essex County communities have launched the initiative in collaboration with local partners to provide resources for those with an opioid-use disorder. The Peabody Health Department said that an average of 277 people have died each year in the county from 2017 through 2021.

The Peabody Health Department said Narcan is very effective, safe to administer and has no potential for misuse. It has been shown to reduce overdose deaths by 11 percent in a community even when administered by someone with no formal medical training.

Those who need immediate help finding treatment for themselves or a loved one should call the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline at 800-327-5050 or visit here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)