With the recent rise in opioid- and teenager-related overdoses across the nation, local resident and pediatric surgeon Dr. Lorraine Kelley-Quon and her team from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and USC are organizing a Narcan training/distribution and prescription opioid take-back event on Saturday, April 27, at La Cañada High School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Each week 22 teenagers, equivalent to the students in one high school classroom, die in the United States from drug overdoses. With most overdoses related to opioids, knowing what to do in the event of an opioid overdose can be lifesaving, especially for teenagers.
This event will provide participants with information about Narcan (Naloxone), an over-the-counter reversal agent for opioid overdose, and training on how to dispense this medication. The first 50 participants will get a free dose of Narcan.
Additionally, attendees are encouraged to bring leftover prescription opioid medications they may have in their home for safe disposal, no questions asked. This event is open to the public and is supported by grants from the USC Institute for Addiction Science and the USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.
First published in the April 25 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
