Opioid Awareness Seminar
Course Description:
The sudden rise in opioid and prescription narcotic deaths, both nationally and throughout the Commonwealth, has presented a unique challenge to local communities. The Opioid Awareness Seminar focuses on national, statewide and local trends relating to heroin, prescription opioids, and other opioid compounds. Overdose awareness, recognizing a potential addiction and community prevention/treatment programs will also be discussed providing a realization of how the opioid epidemic can affect the school environment and the community.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand how pain receptors works in the human body and how opioid pain medications affect these receptors
- Analyze current national and statewide trends in regards to adolescent opioid abuse
- Understand the pharmacology of other opioid compounds and how they can become an attractive replacement to opioid pain medications
- Describe the signs of an opioid overdose
- Understand statewide trends regarding drug related overdose deaths
- Recognize the warning signs of a possible opioid addiction
- Understand what can be done at the school/community level to help combat the opioid epidemic
Prerequisites: None
Course Length: 1 hour
Who May Attend: Educators, Counselors, School Staff Members, Law Enforcement, Corrections, Military, Health Care Professionals and Community Based Organizations