Narcan training in West Deer aims to bolster awareness, knowledge of opioid overdoses

Esther Whittinger doesn’t know anyone who takes drugs.

She doesn’t have any loved ones she thinks might overdose.

But she still attended a free Narcan training clinic and took with her a few doses of the drug, which reduces the effects of opioid overdoses.

“I’m just interested in the aspect that you could save somebody,” the Arnold resident said. “I’m just interested in helping people who may be in need.”

Whittinger was one of several people who attended a free Narcan training clinic Sunday afternoon at Poppin’ Tags Free Store in West Deer’s Russellton neighborhood. The training was provided through nearby Palmer Pharmacy, and Allegheny County Health Department provided free Narcan doses for participants.

As a nurse, Whittinger said she understands how Narcan may help people struggling with drug addictions or people who may make a mistake in dosing with their opioid prescription.

“It could happen by accident to a loved one at home,” she said.

Raising awareness about Narcan and destigmatizing it was what inspired Sonya Dembowski to bring such training to her Russellton shop.

“If the knowledge is out there, it’s easier for people to get help,” she said, explaining that people who need Narcan may or may not be drug users and could live in rural, suburban or urban areas and be part of any socioeconomic demographic.

There are several people who frequent the shop who are drug users, she said, and multiple frequent customers have died of overdoses in the past couple of years.

“I don’t want to lose anybody else,” Dembowksi said.

She keeps Narcan in the store, in her house and in her car.

Sunday marked the store’s second Narcan training clinic.

Kaitlyn Sullivan, owner and pharmacist at Palmer Pharmacy, provided a brief overview for participants about how Narcan works before distributing doses to people in attendance.

“Narcan training is important for everyone because you’ll be able to save a life,” she said.

Diana Fredley of West Deer said she wanted to learn about Narcan so she could be prepared to help people in need in case of emergency.

“Everybody should be ready for first aid of all sorts,” she said.

Because of Pennsylvania’s Good Samaritan laws, Sullivan said, people who administer Narcan to people who may need it can’t get in legal trouble for their efforts. People can’t overdose on Narcan, she said, and administering Narcan to someone having a different type of medical emergency won’t hurt them.

Sullivan explained to attendees how to check for symptoms of an overdose, such as irregular pulse and pinpoint pupils. She walked people through the process of administering the nasal-spray Narcan doses she provided, and reminded them to call 911 if they ever need to administer it to someone.

Narcan can be stored anywhere, she said, and people often keep it in their purses or cars so that it’s available if it’s needed.

Narcan is fast-acting, she said, and “very simple” to use.

It’s also easily available for anyone.

“You don’t have to be on an opioid prescription to get Narcan,” Sullivan said.

Most pharmacies keep Narcan in stock, she said, and the county and other organizations offer training sessions where Narcan is offered for free.

Sullivan said she educates anyone who picks up an opioid prescription from her pharmacy about drug safety and Narcan. People taking opioid prescriptions can accidentally take too much or have other issues with their prescriptions that could make Narcan essential, she said.

“It’s not just young people out there shooting heroin,” Dembowski said. “It’s 70-year-olds who forgot they took their meds.”

Allegheny County had 719 overdose deaths in 2021, according to data from the medical examiner’s office. Westmoreland County recorded 168 overdose deaths in 2021.

Overdose is the leading cause of death in Americans younger than 50, Sullivan said.

“It is a growing problem,” she said. “Part of the solution is educating more people (and) more people having Narcan available.”