Narcan training provides more than just information on opioid overdoses

Students for Drug And Alcohol Education (SADE) provided free narcan training to Minnesota State students in order to show them what to do if they witness a drug overdose.

“We really wanted to raise awareness because we want people to be educated and know how to save their friends if they are in need,” said SADE President Sara Novak, who helped organize the Nov. 16 event.

“There’s obviously been a lot more opioid overdoses in the area recently and at the beginning of the semester we thought it was a good idea to get this running,” said Novak.

Narcan is an opioid overdose medication and is administered nasally or by injection to those experiencing an opioid overdose.

The training was led by Molly Kortuem from Beyond Brink who, after providing information on how to recognize someone experiencing an overdose and the details of how to administer Narcan, talked candidly about her own experiences with drug addiction in the past.

“I am part of the harm reduction team and I am also in recovery from all drugs and alcohol,” said Kortuem when she introduced herself at the beginning of the training.

Kortuem discussed how she started down the path of drug addiction.

“When I started I just wanted to have fun and I wanted to be accepted and I wanted to be part of the crowd. I knew my family history and I knew the tendency to have issues with this,” said Kortuem.

Kortuem also included her experiences with the consequences and difficulties related to drug addiction.

“The disease had such a hold on me I couldn’t see any other way out. I thought I would never get sober. I thought I would just continue on that way the rest of my life. It tore me away from my family. My family would barely talk to me. It took away all my morals, it took away my soul,” said Kortuem.

Kortuem also discussed her recovery.

“On August 7, 2022 I had a spiritual awakening. On that day I had something guiding me and it told me to go home. I had never experienced anything like this before. I don’t feel like I was at my rock bottom. So I followed what, however you explain it, the intuition, the feeling, the whatever to go home and I got sober after trying several, several, several times,” said Kortuem.

Another topic discussed during the training was the philosophy of harm reduction, a practice which seeks to minimize the harm caused by drugs and alcohol.

“Harm reduction is designed as any positive change as a person decides for him or herself. Harm reduction practices can include needle exchanges, narcan distribution, fentanyl testing strips, safe use sites and hotlines, and the use of a peer support specialist. Harm reduction is a worthy recovery goal, whether or not abstinence is achieved,” said Kortuem.

Header photo:Students for Drug And Alcohol Education (SADE) provided free narcan training to Minnesota State students in order to show them what to do if they witness a drug overdose. (Alexis Darkow)

Write to Jeremy Redlien at Jeremy.redlien@mnsu.edu