Wellness
Turning the Tides: Naloxone Training Program
Gaston County residents and organizations can learn how to identify overdoses and administer naloxone. Gaston Together will distribute naloxone and encourage organizations to make it easily accessible to staff and community members.
Why take a naloxone training?
We believe that naloxone should be part of everyone’s first aid kit. Learning to use naloxone is like taking a CPR course- you hope you never need to use it but it’s good to know in an emergency.
The training will discuss
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Naloxone and Harm Reduction
Why naloxone is harmless, beneficial, and critical in preventing harm
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Opioids
The chemistry of opioids and their impact on the brain
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Pharmaceutical Industry
The role of big pharma in creating this epidemic
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Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
The routes by which people develop opioid use disorder – including Adverse Childhood Experiences
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Emergencies
What happens when you call 911 & why you should call
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Resources
Who to call for help & why you should just call
Who should take the naloxone training?
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Everyone!
We all can benefit from learning about naloxone and how to save a life during an opioid overdose.
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Friends and family of people with substance use disorder
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People with substance use disorder
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Businesses
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Schools & universities
The program is appropriate for multiple ages. We have presented to all ages, including to students in middle school and high school.
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Teams, after school clubs, and religious organizations
The program is appropriate for multiple ages. We have presented to all ages, including to students in middle school and high school.
Naloxone
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Naloxone is a medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose. It removes opioids from the parts of the brain that cause the body to stop breathing. It is completely safe and is not addictive.
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People take naloxone through a nasal spray or an injection. It usually takes 2 – 3 minutes to work and will last 20 – 40 minutes. Anyone can administer naloxone to someone they think is experiencing an opioid overdose. You do not have to be a medical provider. Naloxone will not hurt someone if they get it by mistake. You are immune from civil or criminal liability if you believe someone is overdosing when you give them naloxone (you act in good faith). If someone took a lot of opioids, or strong opioids, they may need a second or third dose of naloxone.
Remember, naloxone only reverses opioid overdoses. If the person has alcohol or other substances in their system, they will probably wake up with the effects of those substances.
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North Carolina has a standing order for naloxone. This means that anyone can buy it at a pharmacy without a prescription. Health insurance may cover all or part of the cost of naloxone. The cost depends on the form (injection or nasal delivery) and the brand (for example, Narcan).
We recommend that families and friends of people with opioid use disorder keep naloxone at home, in the event their loved ones have an overdose.
Just Call
Just Call. You might save their life.
Just Call encourages people to call for help during overdose emergencies and to ask for help with substance use disorder (SUD).
The Just Call program was originally created to encourage college students to call for help during overdoses and other emergencies. As the program developed, we also added mental health and substance use disorder resources to the information we shared.
The goal of the program is simple, if anyone is in a situation where they are asked, “should I call for help?” or “should I call 911?”, we want them to remember the training and say “Just Call. You might save their life.”
Just Call Social Media Toolkit
Download this kit if you want to share Just Call information on your social media. It has graphics, sample captions, and information about the Just Call program.
Contact us
Fill out this form to contact us for more information about the Just Call program and the naloxone training.