FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Photo: Melrose Police Host Successful Community Meeting on Narcan

MELROSE — Chief Michael Lyle is pleased to announce that the Melrose Police Department hosted a successful community meeting on nasal Naloxone (Narcan) yesterday.

The meeting was held at the Milano Senior Center from 6-8 p.m. and focused on educating participants on how to use the life-saving opioid reversal drug.

Narcan, an opioid antagonist, can quickly reverse the effects of a potentially fatal painkiller or heroin overdose by displacing the drug from the receptors in the brain. It has minimal side effects, is not dangerous if administered to a person who is not overdosing and it has no potential for abuse.

A trainer from Cataldo Ambulance demonstrated how to administer Narcan to an overdose victim, and 50 doses of the opioid-reversal drug, which were donated anonymously, were available to attendees.

As part of the presentation, a Stoneham woman who was revived with Narcan after overdosing spoke about her experiences with substance abuse and how addiction consumed her life. She has been sober for three years.

Other guest speakers included Chief Lyle, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, and representatives from the Melrose Substance Abuse Coalition and the Hallmark Health COACHH Program.

Chief Lyle would like to thank District Attorney Ryan and everyone else who dedicated their time to the event.

###