East Central Illinois AHEC, Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services and the Ford County Public Health Department collaborated to hold a 1 day educational event on 8/14/19 entitled “The Opioid Crisis: What Rural Communities Should know.” This program was intended to educate healthcare professionals, first responders, and the general public about what opioids are, understanding drug use and addiction, the treatments available, responding to an overdose and addressing the stigma of opioid use disorder.
Training and education on how to administer naloxone to reverse a heroin/opioid overdose was provided during the program followed by hands-on training. Participants who successfully completed the training received a free naloxone kit.