Louisville group hosts Narcan training session in effort to slow overdose deaths

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A training seminar was held to teach people how to administer Naloxone, also known as Narcan, in Louisville on Tuesday night.

The group 502 Revolution held a training session with Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition on how to administer Narcan on Baxter Avenue. Nearly 2,000 Kentuckians died from fentanyl overdoses in 2021.

Those deaths led to the training session for Narcan, which can reverse the effects of an overdose.

NARCAN TRAINING — 502 Revolution held a Narcan training session on March 21, 2023.

"Kentucky has an alarming rate of overdose deaths and it keeps getting higher every year," said Lynne Huckleberry, with Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition. "And, in the last few months, we've jumped to second in overdoses in the United States. And so, I do this because I'm concerned."

Huckleberry's son has been in recovery for almost nine and a half years now from substance abuse. She said that's why she does these seminars.

"We also give out fentanyl test strips. People can test their drugs to make sure they know if there's fentanyl in it or not. And, then they can make an informed decision about whether they want to take it or whether they want to get something else or maybe find someone else to get it from in the future. But yeah, the more kits we can get out there, the better."

Huckleberry provided a few tips during the training.

"First of all, you need to do some rescue breathing for the person in between Narcan doses, because what they're lacking is oxygen. That's why people say that they start to turn blue. They don't have enough oxygen. Also, make them stay there when they wake up, if you revive them, because the Narcan only lasts for a little while and if it wears off they could go back and overdose. And, make sure they go to the hospital afterwards because they need help until the opioids dissipate from their body kind of naturally," she said. "But until then, they're at risk for going back into an overdose, if they are already overdosing on something. Stay calm as hard as that will be. You just have to stay calm and do the best you can do."

Naloxone training can reduce fentanyl deaths by 50%, according to event organizers.