FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — More people are seeking training on how to use Naloxone, a medicine used to rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, according to Fairfax County health officials.
Since July of 2022, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board told WUSA9 they've trained more than 2,000 people on how to use it.
Wednesday night, they offered virtual Revive training. It's something they began offering in 2018.
"We've seen an increase in our participation, to where our trainings have been full so we've added trainings to our calendar because of that," said Marla Zometsky, the Wellness, Health Promotion & Prevention Manager for Fairfax-Falls Church CSB.
Fairfax County has an Opioid Overdoses Dashboard on their website, where they keep track of both fatal and non-fatal overdoses.
They recorded at least 30 non-fatal overdoses since the start of the year.
In February, WUSA9 attended a Naloxone training event in Arlington County. They had also seen an uptick in interest in the training.
"We've done it as a result of an influx in community requests," said Opioids Program Manager Emily Siqveland.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, fatal overdoses are the leading cause of death in the Commonwealth, with fatal drug overdoses surpassing both gun-related and motor vehicle deaths in 2022.
That's why getting trained is something Zometsky told WUSA9 is so important.
"It's an everyday person that can experience an opioid overdose and it's the everyday person that can help save a life," said Zometsky.
For more info about getting training in Fairfax County, click here.
For more info about training in Arlington County, click here.