Harrisonburg, Virginia (WHSV) – Friday was all about education and prevention at BrightView in Harrisonburg. Worked with the Central Shenandoah Health District to provide free Narkan training and education to community members.

This is part of CSHD REVIVE. program.

Mick Ruggiero, director of outreach for Northern Virginia at Brightview, said:

Ruggiero said the attendance was excellent and enough for a location that hopes to offer the event again in the future.

“Now that they’re educated, if they see someone in need of resuscitation from an overdose, they’re trained and have the ability to do so,” Ruggiero said.

Overdose is still prevalent, Ruggiero said, and this is a way to help curve the numbers.

“It’s important that only the average citizen has the capacity to respond to a crisis when necessary, whether it’s within their own family, community or neighborhood,” Ruggiero said. said.

Ruggiero said one community member showed up today and witnessed two overdoses in his community, so he wants to come out and get the training and tools to prevent such things from happening in the future. said.

If you’re interested in training and accessing the program, Ruggiero says call the CSHD or your local health district. He said this is a great asset to the community because Narkan is expensive and hard to come by.

“In Virginia, there’s an executive order that allows anyone to get a prescription for Narcan as a regular prescription, but they’re going to pay out of their pocket or through insurance. Well, it’s free,” Ruggiero said. said. He said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, Ruggiero said BrightView is a barrier-free access treatment facility that can help.

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