BIDDEFORD — Anyone wanting to learn how to administer naloxone in the event of an opiate drug overdose can get training, and free Narcan, on Friday when the organization known as the Church of Safe Injection makes a stop at the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center in Biddeford.

Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. Narcan is a brand of naloxone.

Jesse Harvey, founder of CSI and of Journey House recovery residences, a peer support coordinator at Greater Portland Health, a staff member at Preble Street in Portland, and owner of Jesse Harvey Consulting, said he will bring certified trainers in the use of naloxone to the neighborhood center at 3 p.m. on Friday.

The event is aimed at people who use drugs, and their family members and friends.

According to figures provided by Biddeford Police and prepared by the Maine Medical Examiners Office, there were seven fatal drug overdoses in Biddeford in 2018 — five men and two women died of opiate overdoses. That figure is far fewer than the 23 fatal drug overdoses in Biddeford in 2017, when 17 men and six women succumbed to overdoses.

While figures are still being finalized for all overdoses within the city limits for 2018, Biddeford Police estimate there were about 187 total,  up from the 97 noted in Biddeford Police Department’s 2017 annual report.

Harvey hopes to reduce those figures, with training in the use of naloxone.

Previous events have been held n Lewiston, Portland, Caribou and Sanford, he said.

“Friday’s will be the most formal (indoors and advertised) one yet,” he said. “Whereas in the past we have gotten only a handful of attendees, hopefully this time we get several dozen.”

The CSI is  distributing the naloxone free because it saves lives, he said. “And sadly, no other organization is really doing this outside of Bangor and Portland,” Harvey said in an email. “We have several hundred doses of the medication and will be distributing these free-of-charge to anyone who needs it, for themselves, friends, family.”

While the name of the church he founded in September is Church of Safe Injection, Harvey said the event will focus solely on naloxone and instruction on how to use it.

Rev. Shirley Bowen, director of Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center, said the hour-long workshop fits in with that the center is about.

“We absolutely believe anything we can do to help empower either people who are friends or family of those who might be susceptible to overdoses, and (those) who themselves might be users — anything we can do to save a life we think is part of our mission,” she said. “(This) needs to be in as many hands as possible.”

Bowen said people at Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center have been trained in the use of naloxone, but pointed out the center is open just four hours a day.

“We want it to be more widely available in the community,” said Bowen. “We’re so happy to host that training here. If it can help prevent one death it is worth it.”

Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center is located at 35 South St. in Biddeford.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.