Oxford Police Department offers free Narcan training for the public
OXFORD, MISS. (WCBI) – The community room at the Oxford Police Department was packed with students, neighbors, parents, employees from various businesses, and others, all looking for information and knowledge that could mean the difference between life and death.
“I think it is a good product, help us fight, especially when you see something go down at The Grove for instance., if we see someone who isn’t breathing, we can administer something and get EMS there,” said Robert Bradley, who is a captain with Wood Security, which provides security at Ole Miss events, football games and other functions.
Bradley, along with other employees at Wood Security attended the free narcan clinic.
The session was led by Communicare Executive Director Melody Madaris and featured information about various opioids and other drugs. Participants were also shown how to administer nalaxone, also known as narcan, which reverses opioid overdoses. Everyone left with a free overdose emergency kit. Madaris says knowing how to use narcan can be critical, when every second counts.
‘It goes back to the stigma of addiction, I think people think, it won’t happen to me, anybody I love, the fact of the matter you never know what you or a loved one will do, fentanyl and opioids are in all types of things, I was in New Orleans, and I saw someone pass out. You just never know,” Madaris said.
Madaris points out that Narcan will only work on opioid overdoses, and she stresses that even after narcan is administered, getting to a hospital for treatment and follow up is essential.
Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen also encourages people to get their medications or supplements only from medical professionals.
‘We are in a world currently, where, if you didn’t see that package bought, if you didn’t watch it get opened, you don’t know what contents are in there, you are with people but you don’t know what was given to them, we are seeing now, fractions of a pill can kill you,” Chief McCutchen said.
The Oxford Police Department plans to hold more of these training sessions in the future, and free narcan is available at locations throughout the Ole Miss campus and the city.
Communicare provides the narcan training for civic, business and church groups. For information, call 662 234 7521.
