CARTERET COUNTY, NC – Carteret County Health and Human Services (CCHHS), in partnership with Carteret County Emergency Services (CCES) and the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), will host three Opioid Overdose and Narcan Education trainings in September as part of their continued work to help alleviate the impact of opioid and other substance use in Carteret County. The event is called Carteret Cares; attendees will learn about addiction, how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose, and what to do if someone overdoses.
Local public health officials, community leaders, and other key stakeholders will educate community residents about the risks of heroin and prescription opioid use, the signs of addiction, local drug use trends, prevention and treatment resources available in the community, current efforts to help alleviate the issue, and what others can do to get involved. The forums will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on the following dates:
- Tuesday, Sept. 20, Crystal Coast Civic Center, 203 College Cir., Morehead City
- Wednesday, Sept. 21, Fort Benjamin Recreation Center, 100 McQueen Ave., Newport
- Thursday, Sept. 22, The Bridge Downeast, 1344 Island Rd., Harkers Island
Carteret County Emergency Services will provide Narcan training with the intent of empowering community members, family and friends to save lives. Narcan (also known as Naloxone) is an opioid antagonist that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. It is usually available as a nasal or injectable medication and works to reverse an overdose. The training is for at-risk individuals, family members, friends and the associates of any individual who is using and at risk of overdosing on heroin or prescription pain medications. Participants will learn how Narcan works to reverse an overdose, what to do when an overdose is suspected, and how and when to administer the medication. Training is approximately 20 to 30 minutes long, and participants will receive their own free Narcan kit.
Following the training and presentation will be a panel for questions and answers. Those serving on the panel include Carteret County Board of Commissioners; Randall W. Williams, M.D., Interim Health and Human Services Director at CCHHS; Nina Oliver, MS, Health Director at CCHHS; Jessica Adams, Department of Social Services Director at CCHHS; Sheriff Asa Buck; Major Dennis Barber, Carteret County Sheriff’s Office; Jimmy Machipness, Deputy Emergency Services Director for Carteret County; and Lee Stiles, Public Health Educator at CCHHS. They will be on hand to help answer questions from the community. Some topics to be covered include substance use disorder, opioids, heroin, prevention, treatment, services, law enforcement, education, and hope for recovery.
In addition to the panel, several service providers will set up tables to highlight some of their information and educational materials.
The event is free to the public, but attendees are asked to RSVP for the training at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CarteretCares2022.
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