The Ktunaxa Nation Social Council and ʔaq̓am are organizing free community and youth naloxone training sessions on Thursday at the ʔaq̓am Culture Centre.
Naloxone is a drug used to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, and the training courses come after an alert for potentially toxic MDMA was made public by Interior Health.
“With what’s been happening in the area lately, we want to better prepare our people and our youth so that if a crisis were to break out we would all be equipt and we would know what to do,” said Kristen Whitehead, Cultural and Language Coordinator at ʔaq̓am.
More: Interior Health Confirms Overdose Alert in Cranbrook (February 26, 2020)
Whitehead added that the event is welcome to all community members to learn how to use a naloxone kit.
“We want to get the information out there about the naloxone training and how the kits work so people are better prepared if something were to happen,” said Whitehead.
All attendees to the event will be given a naloxone kit, and access to harm reduction supplies are also available.
The event is scheduled for Thursday at the ʔaq̓am Culture Centre opening with dinner at 5:00 p.m.