With Philadelphia, and the nation, in the grips of an opioid overdose crisis, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health is now offering FREE training on overdose awareness and overdose reversal using naloxone, or Narcan.

Trainings will be held at the Free Library of Philadelphia Lucien E. Blackwell West Branch. 

Drug abuse and overdoses are an ongoing crisis in Philadelphia, killing more than 1200 people in 2017. The Medical Examiner reports that 88% of our fatal overdoses involve opioids, including heroin and fentanyl. This training will teach you concrete actions you can take to help combat the opioid crisis and prevent fatal overdoses. Trainees will learn:

• Information about the current state of the opioid crisis in Philadelphia
• Potential risk factors for opioid overdose
• Signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose 
• Information about naloxone including: what it is, how to use it, & where to get it*
• The medical protocol for responding to an opioid overdose
• Information about PA's Standing Order for Naloxone, Act 139, and the Good Samaritan protection

Learn more about naloxone and how to get it  

For more information on Philadelphia's plans to address the opioid crisis.

To register or address any questions, please contact overdose.prevention@phila.gov.

Registration encouraged, but not required. Walk-ins welcome!

Register here  

In an effort to increase awareness and enhance overall knowledge of the opioid epidemic’s impact on our region, the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), is offering monthly lifesaving Naloxone (Narcan) Overdose Prevention & Rescue Training.

Join us for an informative session and learn to become a trained ambassador of overdose prevention methods. The combined DBHIDS 2016 and 2017 Naloxone (Narcan) Overdose Prevention & Rescue training series, has trained approximately 1000 individuals; and distributed upwards of 250 Narcan kits.

Naloxone (Narcan) Overdose Prevention & Rescue Training participants will learn:

• How to recognize harm-reduction approaches to high-risk behaviors, including substance misuse
• The immediate protocols for effectively administering Naloxone (Narcan), the life-saving medication developed to help prevent fatal opioid overdoses
• The importance of the Good Samaritan Act 139 and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Standing Order for Naloxone (Narcan)

For more information, visit the Mayor's Task Force to Combat the Opioid Epidemic in Philadelphia.