Many of the close to 200 people that turned out on Thursday, Aug. 31, for an International Overdose Awareness Day event at a small park in Northeast D.C.
known as Starburst Plaza witnessed officials with the local harm reduction services group HIPS rush to the aid of a man who lost consciousness in what appeared to be an opioid overdose.
One of the HIPS staffers administered Narcan Nasal Spray, the medication that reverses the effects of a life-threatening opioid drug overdose, before D.C.
Emergency Medical Services Department technicians arrived on a fire truck. The EMS technicians provided further treatment to the man, including placing an oxygen mask on his face, that resulted in his regaining consciousness.