Lawton Public Library to sponsor workshop today on countering overdoses

A Narcan training session is scheduled today at Lawton Public Library, 110 SW 4th.

The hour-long session being offered by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services will begin at 11:30 a.m. The free session will be led by Jason Hall, the department’s prevention and harm reduction program senior field representative, as part of the department’s initiative to counteract substance abuse. Narcan is a nasal spray that can be used on someone who is overdosing on an opioid, reversing the effects of an overdose by blocking the opioid’s effects.

Today’s training session will include an explanation of the opioid overdose crisis, and the dynamics of opioid use and its interaction with the body. Participants will be taught how to identify the signs of an overdose and responding with Narcan Naloxone, as well as provided information on fentanyl overdose intervention strategies.

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services said there are 300,000 Oklahomans who say they have a substance abuse disorder.

Additional information, to include free resources, is available at https://oklahoma.gov/odmhsas.html