Wicomico County Community Members Trained and Equipped to Save a Life

With more and more Marylanders dying everyday from opioid-related overdoses, learning how to save a life and becoming equipped with the proper tools do so is now more important than ever. The Maryland Department of Health indicated in its second quarter Unintentional Drug- and Alcohol-Related Intoxication Death report that opioid related deaths in Maryland have increased by nearly 12% in the first six months of 2018, compared to the same time period in 2017. Although the state is seeing an overall increase, Wicomico County is seeing a reduction in lives lost, dropping from 19 to 17 for that period.

The medication Naloxone, also known by the name brand Narcan, aids in reducing the death rate because it reverses opioid overdoses, saving lives. More than 2,700 Wicomico County residents have been trained to administer this life saving medication. Since the initiation of the Opioid Response Program in 2015, the number of individuals trained has grown each year, with more than 1,000 Wicomico County residents being trained from July 2017 through June 2018.

The training instructor not only teaches an individual how to administer the medication, but also provides them with a kit for their personal use should they encounter an opioid overdose in the community. Jessica Taylor, Program Coordinator for the Local Behavioral Health Authority, states, “similar to CPR, you can become equipped to potentially save the life of an individual in our community.”

Free Naloxone trainings are offered every second Tuesday of the month, 6:00-7:00 pm at the Wicomico County Public Library. In addition to these trainings, community members can contact the Wicomico County Health Department to schedule a free training at their agency or business. Call Wicomico County Opioid Coordinator Christina Bowie-Simpson at (410) 219- 3956 to find out more or to schedule a training.

If you or someone you love is struggling with a substance use disorder, you can find help at BeforeItsTooLateMD.org or by calling 211 and pressing 1. You can also contact Wicomico’s Community Outreach Addictions Team (COAT) at 443-783-6875.