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Overflow crowd gets Narcan training

Overflow crowd gets Narcan training

Matt Shortall - Staff Writer
Posted 4/20/17

HURLEYVILLE — Vehicles had to park on the grass behind the Hurleyville Fire House on Tuesday to make room for around 100 people attending an information session on Narcan.

Martin Colavito, …

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Overflow crowd gets Narcan training

Overflow crowd gets Narcan training

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HURLEYVILLE — Vehicles had to park on the grass behind the Hurleyville Fire House on Tuesday to make room for around 100 people attending an information session on Narcan.

Martin Colavito, director of prevention services for Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange and Sullivan County, was on hand to demonstrate the proper use of Narcan, sometimes called Naloxone, a medication used to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

“I've always been a big Yankees fan,” said Colavito, “Twice I've been at a game and someone in the crowd has overdosed.”

This was years before Colavito had even heard of Naloxone, but that didn't stop him from wondering. “I get consumed with imagining the pain other people go through,” he said. “The worst thing - looking back and saying ‘I wish I had done something.'”

It's been little more than a year since major pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS started selling Naloxone over-the-counter in New York State.

The newest challenge to first responders dealing with opioid overdoses has been the increase in Fentanyl-laced heroin. While a normal overdose victim responds to one hit of Narcan, a victim who overdoes on a heroin/ Fentanyl combination may need between 10 and 20 hits of Narcan.

“If you deal drugs in this town, our police will track you down and arrest you,” warned Town of Fallsburg Supervisor Steven Vegliante. “But when it comes to those battling addiction, we want to help.”

Dr. Carlos Holden Director of the Emergency Room at Catskill Regional was on hand to discuss just how inundated his triage center has become with opioid overdoses.

“More than guns or car crashes, the number one thing that brings patients into the emergency room is a prescription pad,” said Holden.

Julian Dawson is a Monticello native and Chief Professional Officer of the United Way of Sullivan County, which holds monthly seminars throughout the county to raise awareness of the epidemic that's spread throughout our area and around the nation.

“Over the last year or two, I've known 23 people who have lost their lives from heroin,” said Dawson, “This is something we need to address as a community and we need to address it now.”

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