Salem Promotes Narcan Training Ahead Of Busy Halloween Season

SALEM, MA — Salem residents are invited to take part in a free Narcan training course ahead of the influx of 1.2 million or more Halloween season visitors to the city.

The Salem Board of Health, in conjunction with the Healthy Streets Outreach Program, will offer the training at City Hall Annex on Sept. 30 with all those attending receiving training and free doses of Narcan for use in an opioid emergency.

"We believe that it is important that we offer the public the tools to recognize the signs of overdose and the resources to treat an overdose should they be in the situation to do so," Salem Health Agent David Greenbaum said. "As Salem heads into our busiest tourist season, we want to stay especially vigilant in our battle against opioids."

Narcan has been determined to be a very effective medication. It is safe, easy to administer, and has no potential for misuse. It has been shown to reduce overdose deaths in a community by as much as 11 percent.

Training attendees will be taught to recognize the signs of an overdose, how to administer Narcan should they need to, and what to do once they administer Narcan.

"Narcan can help save lives and the more members of our community who are able to administer it in a crisis, the safer our city will be," Mayor Dominick Pangallo said. "I hope all who are able will take advantage of this important opportunity.:

The training will be at 11 a.m. in the first floor large conference room at 98 Washington Street.

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