Kings Park in the Know: NARCAN Training Saves Lives

On Monday May 13th Kings Park in the kNOw (KPITK) will be hosting a free Narcan training at the American Legion Hall on Thompson Street in Kings Park at 7:00 p.m.
Narcan also known as Naloxone is an opiate blocker that reverses overdose from heroin or opiate prescription pain killers like Vicodin or Percocet. 

 “Most people don’t’ realize that an opiate overdose culminating in death doesn’t happen instantaneously – it actually takes a few hours, said KPITK president, Kim Revere. "It’s that critical window of time where lives can and are being saved,”

Since being piloted by the Suffolk County Legislature in December 2012, the Suffolk County Police Department, the Sherriff’s Department, Fire Departments and emergency personnel in Suffolk have been trained in using NARCAN.

 “Over one hundred families have been spared the horrendous nightmare of burying a loved one due to drug overdose and that’s a miracle,” said KPITK Chairwoman Maureen Rossi.  “If one person shows up and gets trained and one life is saved, our job is done, however, I must admit 98 people is a very impressive number,” said Rossi. 

Several members of KPITK are already trained included Revere, Vice President. Melissa McDougal and Executive Director Debbie Danley. 

“If you have a family member who is using or you suspect of using anything you should be trained. And you never know if you are going to be somewhere around town and come across an overdoes,  Narcan is a great tool to have,” said Revere.