Nassau County Legislators Debra Mulé (D-Freeport) and Seth I. Koslow (D-Merrick) partnered with the THRIVE Recovery Center to host a Narcan training seminar at the Freeport Memorial Library on April 18. A THRIVE staff member taught attendees how to spot the signs of an opiate overdose and administer intranasal Naloxone to reverse an overdose. They also shared new approaches to treating addiction and taught participants how to utilize fentanyl and xylazine (“tranq”) testing strips to identify dangerous new drugs.
LIU Post social work major Amber Arzu, who is interning in Mulé’s office, helped to spearhead organizing the workshop, at which every participant who took the course received a Narcan kit and a certificate of completion.
“As a social worker, I am all too aware of the devastation that the ongoing addiction crisis wreaks upon our society, and no community is exempt from its grasp,” Mulé said. “With the presence of fentanyl and other deadly new drugs increasing the threats to our society, it is more important than ever for us to be educated and equipped to respond as a society. Thank you to the THRIVE Recovery Center for hosting this potentially life-saving workshop.”
“We have a responsibility as parents and community leaders to always remain vigilant and do everything we can to protect our youth from these poisons,” Koslow said. “Narcan training equips us to save another person’s life and give them a chance at pursuing long-term, sustainable recovery. We are thankful to the THRIVE Recovery Center for their partnership and appreciate everyone who attended our workshop to learn this vital skill.”