In just three years, from 2019 through 2021, the California Public Health Department reports opioid-related deaths jumped a staggering 121% and the majority of deaths were linked to fentanyl.
A Narcan and opioid training course was offered Thursday in Morro Bay, so community members could learn more about the misconceptions of opioid use and how to properly use Narcan. The nasal spray is the first FDA-approved over-the-counter medicine to reverse opioid overdose.
“It doesn’t work as much as people think it does and it also doesn’t work on all drugs. It only works on opioids,” said Marcy Mullen, Narcan instructor.
Mullen has been teaching in the medical field for 30 years. She started her company, MEd Training and Consulting Services, during the pandemic.
“When things got a little worse during the pandemic, I saw a need for more education in our area,” Mullen said.
This is her fifth month teaching the free seminars at the Morro Bay Library.
“I have a couple of mannequins set up that I normally use for CPR and BLS classes. I own about ten of them so I brought two and I also brought naloxone trainers which are fake, but the device is the same, and then actual gloves,” Mullen explained.
Victor Roman is a home healthcare provider and says the class was helpful.
“I have Narcan in the back of my car but I haven’t used it. I need to be more informed of it and as a health care professional, it’s always good to jump at any opportunity to learn something new,” Roman said.
He says the more someone learns how they can help, the less fearful they will be.
“Be familiar with it so I’m not stumbling in the dark with it,” Roman continued.
There are myths about Narcan and opioids that may confuse some people.
“The opioids are dispensed every day by the thousands so we’re talking about not only someone at home that just had a knee replaced, took a couple of days' worth of Oxycodone, and talk about the person who is maybe doing heroin or a line of cocaine but that’s now being cut with a little bit of fentanyl,” Mullen said.
Roman encourages community members to educate themselves.
“Everyone should get a CPR class and a Narcan class and anything else that’s free and available. A simple first aid class goes a long way,” Roman said.
Narcan can be picked up at the Public Health Department in San Luis Obispo for free.
If you want to find out more about Mullen’s classes, she posts actively on Nextdoor or you can reach her by email at mmullen821@gmail.com.
