Narcan distributed to students at Mission Viejo's Saddleback College as school year gets underway
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (KABC) -- A local is raising awareness about opioid overdoses and the dangers of fentanyl as fall classes begin at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
"If they were ever to come across somebody who had an overdose that they can save a life," said Sean Tobin, a behavioral evaluation and addiction management nurse at Providence Mission Hospital.
Nurses were on campus Tuesday distributing Narcan to students. The medication that quickly reverses an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids.
Tobin said the hospital sees a high amounts of overdoses every day.
"We see people of various ages, but especially younger adults and teenagers, so we're giving them the opportunity to have the education that they need to help with anybody they might come across that's overdosed," Tobin said.
He said it's critical that people of all ages have Narcan on them in situations where it may be needed.
"For people that have family members that may be have chronic pain issues and they take medications for that, they can easily overdose," Tobin said. "We see that as well. It's not just people that are abusing it."
Students like freshman Ariel Villamil stopped by Mission's Hospital booth on campus Tuesday.
"I have some friends that have smoked it thinking nothing bad in it and then they end up in the hospital or almost dying or have heart problems," Villamil said.
She said she has seen firsthand the dangers of fentanyl among people her age and is glad Mission Hospital is proactively working to keep students safe.
"I wish this would have been here when my friends were going through that -- trying, experimenting -- so they know the dangers of it," Villamil said.
If you or someone you know is trying to get Narcan, Providence Hospitals like St. Joseph's and Mission offer it free of charge or you can purchase it at any pharmacy.
