The Mason-Dixon Ministerium is going to host a free Narcan training session on May 30th.

It will be held from 6:30-7:30 at St. Paul's Church in Pylesville.  Narcan will be distributed to everyone who attends the training.

We encourage everyone to attend this training even if they do not know anyone who is suffering from an opioid substance use disorder.

We're also encouraging teenagers and young adults to attend. They may find themselves with someone who has used heroin/fentanyl or has taken some narcotic pain pills.

They'll need to be able to identify the signs of an opioid overdose and they'll need to know what steps to take in order to save a life.



HELPING THOSE WHO DON'T WANT HELP

There’s a common view that people with addictions can’t be helped unless they choose to go into treatment, unless they "hit bottom".  Several studies show that some people don’t need to choose treatment for it to be effective.  With the deadliness of today's street drugs such as fentanyl and fentanyl mixed with xylazine, many people with Substance Use Disorders are in grave and imminent danger, and most cannot simply quit on their own.  Some need to be coerced or legally mandated into treatment.  If these folks are cared for by professionals trained in addiction medicine, it is possible for them to succeed in their recovery.  As the author states, "We must intervene, and interventions followed by evidence-based treatment can reverse the downward spiral that often accompanies dangerous drug use. If an intervention doesn’t work the first time, we must try again. And again. Because where there’s life, there’s hope."
Here's the link: Opinion | How Do You Get People Into Addiction Treatment if They Don’t Want It? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)



Excess drinking of alcohol already kills more than 140,000 Americans each year, according to the latest estimates, far surpassing drug overdoses or firearm deaths.  Now we have traditional soda makers like Pepsi and Coca-Cola getting into the business of producing beverages containing alcohol.  These types of drinks tend to be inexpensive, packaged in single-serve containers and sold in places like gas stations and convenience stores, where they are likely to appeal to young people.  Some experts have expressed worry that the convenience of these new products could reverse the long-term decline in alcohol consumption by young people.  Women are also coveted consumers.  The push into hard sodas appears to target female drinkers, whose alcohol intake has been catching up to men’s intake in recent years.  As quoted in the article: “The carbonation and sugar content can make it taste like you aren’t drinking alcohol,”.  Which can easily lead to excessive drinking.

Here's the link: Why PepsiCo’s and Coca-Cola’s Alcohol Drinks Worry Health Experts - The New York Times (nytimes.com)