Somerville Prevention Services held trainings, presentations on overdose prevention and Narcan administration.

The City of Somerville’s Health and Human Services Department announce that all Somerville municipal buildings are now equipped with Narcan, a life-saving drug that can reverse the effects of opioids, as part of ongoing efforts to save lives and educate the community on overdose prevention.

Before Narcan was installed, Prevention Services Manager, Matthew Mitchell, in partnership with Public Health Nurse Manager, Sara Harris, completed voluntary trainings for interested city staff to understand, recognize, and respond to a potential overdose. Each Narcan box is located within the defibrillator boxes and/or first aid kits of buildings along with face masks for rescue breathing. Locations now equipped with Narcan are City Hall, the City Hall Annex, the Council on Aging, Department of Public Works, Traffic & Parking, all Parks & Recreation facilities, as well as all public libraries and public schools.

“We are prioritizing finding ways to increase access to Narcan for community members across all parts of Somerville to counter the opioid epidemic,” said Mayor Joseph Curtatone. “We will continue to look for ways to reach people who need overdose prevention education to save lives.”

Since September 2018, Somerville Prevention has trained approximately 273 Somerville residents, businesses, and organizations while distributing 164 doses of Narcan.

For more information on the city’s Prevention services and programs, visit www.somervillema.gov, or contact Prevention Services Manager Matt Mitchell at mmitchell@somervillema.gov.