The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce hosted local experts on the opioid crisis at a members-only event Wednesday morning.
Monroe County public health commissioner Michael Mendoza trained attendees on the use of Narcan to reduce opioid overdoses, and Kimberly Harding, an employment attorney at Nixon Peabody, was there to answer legal questions.
Chris Wiest is a vice president at the business group. He said the training was an important way to get tools to people who can help stem the tide of addiction, especially as employers see the effects of the opioid crisis moving inside their businesses.
“Employers are increasingly seeing issues with regard to opioid use, not just with employees themselves but maybe their family members, maybe associates,” Wiest said. “It’s one of these things that’s increasingly prevalent throughout our society, and the workplace is no different.”
About 40 people were signed up to attend the session. “It’s looking good, it’s looking popular,” Wiest said.