LENOX, Mass. – Saving the life of somebody experiencing a drug overdose can be scary, but it’s an important skill students and faculty at Lenox High School were just taught.

Seniors and staff got a crash course in recognizing and responding to overdoses, Friday. Instructors from the organization Berkshire Harm Reduction walked everybody through a hands-on demonstration. They saw first-hand how easy it is to save a life with the trusted and proven overdose treatment called Narcan.

The senior high school students in the session are on the verge of graduating and getting out into the wide-open world. The session’s instructors said this knowledge could help them become life-saving heroes, should they ever need to be.

“I think it’s great that Lenox High School is taking the lead to repair people for real world experiences,” Sarah De Jesus of Berkshire Harm Reduction said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 100,000 people died from fentanyl overdoses in the past two years. If those victims would’ve been around someone who had Narcan with them and knew how to administer it, there’s no telling how many lives could have been saved.

“Our students are going to be everywhere, and our seniors even beyond the Berkshires, all across the country.”  Superintendent of Lenox Public Schools, Dr. William Collins said. “To be able to know how to do this effectively may save a life.”

Narcan is easier to give an overdose victim than you probably realize. It just has to be sprayed into the person’s nose. There are many groups teaching free classes on how to use it.