STOW 一 Chief Michael Sallese is pleased to announce that the Stow Police Department is hosting an Opioid Awareness Panel and Narcan Training at the Pompositticut Community Center next week.
WHEN:
Tuesday, Dec. 6, from6:30 to 8 p.m.
WHERE:
Pompositticut Community Center, 509 Great Road, Stow, MA 01775
WHAT:
An Opioid Awareness Panel featuring Chief Sallese; Jackie Morris, executive director of Alyssa’s Place, a peer recovery and resource center; and Billy Parks, a recovery coach from Advocates, will discuss the opioid epidemic.
There were six fatal drug overdoses in Stow between 2016 and 2021. There were 300 overdose deaths in Middlesex County in 2020, and 360 in 2021. There have been 3,140 overdose deaths in the county since 2010, according to data from Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
“We feel that opioids and Narcan usage are important issues for people to not only be aware of, but also educated on,” said Chief Sallese. “We also want to make sure people are aware of all the area resources available to them, including our police department. Opioids can impact any family, and we want all residents to know that support is available from the community.”
Medical professionals will be on hand to provide free Narcan training to interested community members and to speak about the importance of the overdose-reversing drug.
Narcan, an opioid antagonist, can quickly reverse the effects of a potentially fatal painkiller or heroin overdose by binding to opioid receptors and reversing or blocking the effects of other opioids, quickly restoring normal breathing. Narcan is not dangerous if administered to a person who is not overdosing and it has no potential for abuse.
This event is open to the public, and residents of other communities are welcome.