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Staten Island Hospital to Give Free Training for Combating Drug Overdoses

By Nicholas Rizzi | August 28, 2014 3:22pm
 Staten Island University Hospital will offer a free training and distribute Narcan, an anti-overdose spray that can help reverse the effects of heroin and opioids overdoses.
Staten Island University Hospital will offer a free training and distribute Narcan, an anti-overdose spray that can help reverse the effects of heroin and opioids overdoses.
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OCEAN BREEZE — A Staten Island hospital will provide free training on the use of a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses next month.

Both the north and south campuses of Staten Island University Hospital will host the training and distribute naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, which reverses the effects of overdoses on heroin and prescription opiates like oxycodone, the hospital announced.

"On Staten Island, this training is as important as knowing CPR,"  Dr. Harshal Kirane, director of addiction services at the hospital, said in a statement. 

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death in the city, with opioids involved in 77 of cases, according to the Department of Health.

The rate of opioid overdoses skyrocketed in the city — by 256 percent from 2010 to 2013 — with Staten Island leading the way, according to the Health Department. In 2013, the borough had 32 opioid related overdose deaths. 

The Health Department will provide the free kits, and Kirane said the training's focus will be on recognizing the signs of an overdose and how to administer Narcan. Opioid overdoses can slow or stop a person's breathing, and naloxone helps to wake the person up and keep them breathing, according to the University of Washington's Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute.

In April, District Attorney Dan Donovan announced that all first responders on Staten Island will be equipped with the spray to help curb the overdose rates. Kirane said he hopes the kits become more widely available and that other health groups hold similar demonstrations.

"The fact of the matter is, Narcan saves lives," Kirane said. "Overdose, sadly, is a wakeup call for many dependents — many of which don't survive to get the chance at recovery."

The free training will be on Sept. 9, from 2 to 5 p.m., with pre-registration starting at 1 p.m. For more information, call 718-306-5125.