UBC Okanagan held a free naloxone training session on Monday night.
The program was launched by Ariel Smith, a second-year medical student who realized that the general public is still largely unaware of how they can help in an emergency.
“Through conversations with family and friends, I recognized a huge knowledge gap still existed in our community,” Smith said.
“Especially considering the majority of opioid overdose deaths in B.C. happen to people living inside a private residence.”
Smith partnered with HOPE Outreach to offer free naloxone training sessions to people, businesses and volunteer organizations in the Okanagan.
“There is still a large stigma associated with opioids and naloxone training,” Smith said.
“In our workshops, we create a safe learning environment for people to ask questions, learn to recognize the signs of an overdose and practice with real equipment.”