Health Department and UW-EC to host Narcan training sessions

Avery Shanahan, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·3 min read

Sep. 26—EAU CLAIRE — Drug overdose deaths have been rising in western Wisconsin, and area leaders are learning more about prevention measures, including applying a chemical that can save lives.

The Eau Claire City-County Health Department and UW-Eau Claire are hosting "Opioid Overdose Prevention and Narcan Training" sessions for students and staff.

The City-County Health Department received two grants, the "Overdose Data to Action" grant, which focuses on opioid data and education, and the "Narcan Direct Program" which allows the health department to provide Narcan training to partners and agencies in Eau Claire County.

Sarah Dillivan-Pospisil, a public health specialist at the City-County Health Department, said these grants were a prime opportunity to provide education to the community, specifically the UW-Eau Claire campus community.

"In Eau Claire County, we know that opioid deaths have more than doubled between 2014 and 2020," Dillivan-Pospisil said. "I think with the increasing opioid overdoses that are happening in Eau Claire County you never know when you might potentially come across that medical emergency, so the more people that have access to Narcan nasal spray (and) know how to use it, is really a good prevention tool."

Brian Dollinger, director of risk management, safety and sustainability at UW-Eau Claire, said the university has been fortunate to have not seen a high number of overdoses in the past, but it is important to recognize the increase in opioid-related deaths.

The training sessions are open to students, staff and faculty. They will learn general opioid information, how to recognize signs of an overdose, local data on opioid usage and how to administer Narcan nasal spray.

The training sessions will be held from 2-3 p.m. today in room 1614 of Centennial Hall and 9-10 a.m. on Friday in room 2614 of Centennial.

"We want to make sure that they're able to get more education about these (drugs) and that they know there are some resources, especially here on campus, to help save a life," Dollinger said.

The university has also implemented 19 "Nalox-Zone" boxes in high-traffic areas such as residence halls, Davies Center, Zorn Arena, Hilltop Center and McIntyre Library. The Nalox-Zone boxes contain two Narcan nasal sprays, masks for rescue breathing and instructions on how to use the medication.

"It's something that reverses the effects of the overdose, at least until possibly emergency personnel can get to the scene," Dollinger said. "We're hoping that this tool doesn't have to be used on campus, however, we just want to give the campus community an opportunity to have access to it if need be."

Dollinger said the implementation of the Nalox-Zone boxes and training session came from discussions with the UW-System in order to take a progressive approach to opioid abatement and provide resources on campuses throughout Wisconsin.

He said this collaboration and additional training have allowed him to learn more about Narcan as a resource and how to use it properly

"It's really helpful, especially having children of my own," Dollinger said. "To be able to inform them and say 'hey this is out there, this is something that's happening, and here are some things you could possibly due to help'."

The City-County Health Department also hosts monthly training sessions for community residents seeking to get Narcan training and learn how to identify opioid overdoses.

"We try to do a monthly training for community members on providing that basic information on what opioids are so everyone is on the same page," Dillivan-Pospisil said.

The next training session for Eau Claire County residents will be on Thursday.

For community members looking for additional information on these monthly training sessions, local opioid data and Narcan information, visit www.getinvolvedasap.org.