Two Rivers Public Health Department gave out Narcan and information handouts for Save a Life Day. The medicine, which reverses an opioid overdose, was distributed at Central Community College and in the Nebraskan Student Union at UNK.
Akaela Lieth, marketing and communication coordinator for Two Rivers, was involved with Save a Life Day.
“We have our hand in a little bit of everything,” Lieth said. “We focus primarily on prevention and safety.”
Two Rivers works closely in the community of Kearney and UNK. During Blue Gold Days at the start of the semester, Two Rivers gave out over 100 Narcan nasal sprays to students at UNK. On Save a Life Day, 88 Narcan nasal sprays were distributed at CCC. At UNK, 500 Narcan nasal sprays were handed out.
The handouts contained illustrations and information on what Narcan is, how to use it and other resources relating to Two Rivers and general health tips. Lieth said Two Rivers will likely continue doing Narcan handouts at UNK and at CCC.
The funding for these giveaways is through Opioid Data 2 Action, a program that helps to educate schools and the public on health and safety.
Isac Portillo, a sophomore computer science major, received Narcan on Save a Life Day.
“She was chasing down students to get it to them,” Portillo said. “She was asking students if they knew what it was and would explain it to them.”
Portillo knew about Two Rivers from his time spent in the Kearney community and already had a vague understanding of what Narcan is. He was still given a brief explanation of it and an informational handout. Portillo keeps the Narcan he was given in his vehicle in case of an emergency.
Sue Pedersen, assistant director of Student Health and Counseling, works within all departments of Student Health and collaborates with Two Rivers often.
“We work closely with Two Rivers in a lot of ways,” Pederson said. “When the COVID-19 pandemic came they gave us a whole mess of COVID-19 tests.”
While the giveaway was unaffiliated with Student Health, Pederson is knowledgeable on what to do in the event of an overdose and how to use Narcan.
Narcan nasal spray is to be injected through the nose. This injection reverses the suppression of the respiratory system and removes the opioid’s effect on receptors in the brain.
Narcan is safe and will not affect somebody who isn’t experiencing an overdose.
