Adults, students undergo opioid overdose training at alcohol, drug symposium
By Liz Ramos
May 14, 2018
Lynchburg, VA – After checking to see if E.C. Glass High School senior Nathan Marraccini, who portrayed an opioid overdose victim during a naloxone training Sunday night, was responsive, Glass senior Eva Barauskas uncovered a small naloxone training box and stuck it into Marraccini’s thigh.
Naloxone, commonly sold under the trademark Narcan, provides emergency treatment for a known or suspected opioid overdose until emergency medical assistance arrives. Registered nurse Shannon Miles said naloxone is the only medication that can reverse an opioid overdose and will have no effect if accidentally administered.
The naloxone training was part of a free alcohol and drug symposium, which educated about 40 students and 16 adults on alcohol intoxication and various types of synthetic drugs as well as their effects.
“We know it’s happening, and we want them to know how to react and what to do in this situation. We want them to be armed with that information,” Miles said. “We want to save lives. We don’t want them to put them to bed or ignore it or be worried they’re going to get in trouble. We want them to feel like they can call their mom, they can call 911, they can call someone to help them.”
Sunday marked the first symposium Miles; Dr. Hugh Colvin, from Lynchburg General Hospital; Dr. Kathryn Johnson, from Virginia Baptist Hospital; and local obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Christine Marraccini hosted.
At the end of the symposium, 20 students and adults who were 18 years of age or older and wanted a naloxone dose were sent home with a dose in hand.
“We want them to have the right information, to know how to react to the situation but to also have a tool to be that first responder, to have some kind of ability to change the outcome and not feel defenseless,” Miles said. Children’s Miracle Network paid for the doses that were provided.
Barauskas said the event and training was important to her and her classmates who are heading to college in the fall because “there is more exposure to the real world, and we need to be aware of what to do in these situations.”
“I feel prepared now that I have more knowledge of what to do in such a situation. Before knowing this, I would have no idea how to react,” Barauskas said. “To have the capability to alter someone’s overdose is incredible, especially knowing that you could possibly save someone’s life with this protocol.”
Glass’ Athletic Director Elizabeth Masencup said the event was valuable to students.
“You don’t know what you don’t know. Kids can’t make informed decisions if they don’t know what they need to know,” Masencup said. “If you change the mind of one person, then you can at least save one person. It all starts somewhere.”
Colvin, who works in the emergency room, spoke to the group about alcohol intoxication and the effects it can have on people. He said alcohol consumption causes 40 percent of vehicle fatalities.
“When you drink alcohol, you’re giving up your responsibility and self control. Each drink is a little bit more, a little bit more,” Colvin said. “When you give up that self control and self determination, you’re giving up a very big thing. You want to have informed decision making.”
Johnson, a psychiatrist, spoke about synthetic drugs, the various names they have, their effects and how a person never really knows what they are getting because the drugs are mixed with different substances.
“It used to be more the message when we’re talking to younger people about drugs was don’t start using drugs because then you may get addicted, and that’s when the problems start, that’s when your life will be ruined. Unfortunately, with our newer drugs, they are so strong we are seeing patients with horrible experiences even with their first or second use,” Johnson said.
After the presentations, the group split into two classrooms for naloxone training in which Miles and another registered nurse demonstrated how to use naloxone kits that contain a dose of naloxone in a prepackaged vial, an injector and a converter for the dose to be nasal.
Molly Gilbert, parent of a junior at Glass, said she was grateful for the training and to know people can get naloxone from the health department or behind the counter at a pharmacy.
“I think it’s a great idea if you’re sending your kids away to college and if you have one of the naloxone kits to be able to put [it] into their college first aid kit. It’s something they can have on hand if they see a friend or someone they know in distress. They may be able to save their life,” Gilbert said.