Rockville is not immune to the crisis of opioid overdoses gripping communities across the United States, and the city is taking steps to fight back.
The city is sponsoring an awareness campaign that will kick off at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 7 at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive, with a program featuring Chris Herren. Herren, a former professional basketball player and recovery advocate, founded Herren Project, a nonprofit serving individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder and the disease of addiction.
Additional efforts, later in the spring, will include a panel discussion of experts on the topic and training on how to respond to an opioid overdose.
Planning for the city’s efforts includes elected officials, city staff, physicians, and community health leaders – a recognition that it will take an ongoing, communitywide, multiagency effort to raise awareness and combat the epidemic.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services reported 471 incidents, from July 2016 through June 2017, in which emergency responders administered Narcan, a rescue drug used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, according to the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.
The county health department is hosting free training in January on how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose. The training, for individuals 18 and older, will include how to administer Narcan. It will be held 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24 at the DHHS offices at 401 Hungerford Drive. To register, call 240-777-1836 or email [email protected].
Meanwhile, the county DHHS recently issued 150 doses of Narcan to Rockville City Police Department officers. All RCPD officers will be trained in the use of the lifesaving prescription drug by the end of January. Once trained, each officer will be issued at least two doses of Narcan.
Look for more details about the March 7 kickoff and the city’s ongoing efforts to fight opioid abuse in “Rockville Reports” and at RockvilleReports.com in the months ahead.
This article has been updated.