FAIRMONT– Martin County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (MCSAP) has scheduled three upcoming dates for free, virtual Naloxone training. This is the first time MCSAP has offered the training in the community.

Naloxone is a drug that can be administered to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, opioid-involved deaths have increased steadily in Minnesota since 2000. The most recent data shows there were 427 opioid-involved deaths in the state in 2019 and in 2020 there were 678.

The training will help participants understand how to recognize an opioid overdose. There will also be information on what Naloxone is and how it’s administered. Participants will also learn about Steve’s Law, or the Good Samaritan law, which provides protection to people who call 911 and/or administer Naloxone in response to a suspected drug overdose.

Steph Johnson, project coordinator for MCSAP, said they initially heard about the Steve Rummler HOPE Network (SRHN) grant though Faribault and Martin County Public Health. She said MCSAP is part of a consortium which applied for an opioid use disorder planning grant through the organization.

The other entities include Children’s Dental Services, Rock County Oral Health Task Force, Southwest Minnesota Opportunity Council and Wright County Health and Human Services.

MCSAP was given a planning grant worth $30,000 from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which helped them lay the groundwork for the opioid use disorder implementation grant. The planning grant led to the creation of a marketing campaign which encourages those in Martin County to safely dispose of unused medications, especially opioids, so they cannot be taken by accident.

Part of the grant required getting community members trained on the use of Naloxone. An hour long training will be offered through SRHN at 2 pm on Thursday and 2 pm on March 16. It will also be offered at 4 pm on April 12. Participants only need to take one training and after completing it, they will receive a free dose of Naloxone by mail.

“Even though it’s not specifically for young people– it’s for people of any age– it certainly goes hand in hand with the prevention work that we’re doing,” Johnson said.

She pointed out that if you’re taking a pill that wasn’t prescribed to you and you didn’t buy it from the pharmacy, you never know what’s in it.

“Especially now with Fentanyl. It could be laced with Fentanyl and you might not have that second chance if you don’t have someone who can save you. If we can get this (Naloxone) into the hands of more people in the community, hopefully we can save lives,” Johnson said.

She said it’s exciting to be able to offer the training for free and hopes that down the line they can offer an in-person training as well. The SRHN also has a partnership with Sterling Drug in Fairmont and provides them with Naloxone kits.

“That’s a pretty amazing opportunity,” Johnson said.

EMTs have Naloxone on hand and Johnson said that members of the Sheriff’s department have vials as well. She said they reached out to members of the Fairmont Police Department to ask if they have any members who would like to take the training.

“If there are firefighters or school nurses who want to take it… it could be anyone,” Johnson said.

She shed light on the fact that you never know when you’ll need something like this so it’s good to be prepared. Johnson shared that she herself is taking the training for the first time.

“We’re excited to bring awareness to our community about the dangers of opioid overdoses. We know it’s an epidemic across our country. Some people might think that it never happens here but it does. It happens everywhere. If we can even save one life by offering this training, it’s worth it,” Johnson said.

If anyone is interested in partaking in the free virtual training, they can email Johnson at Steph@MCSAPCoalition.com or email odp@rummlerhope.org.