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Chief Tim Fitch Wants Patrol Cars Equipped with Heroin Overdose Antidote
Today with the abuse of prescription painkillers and heroin being so high, Naloxone the lifesaving antidote that reverses the effects of opioids is being used more than ever because overdose is sadly a common occurrence anymore. Naloxone also known as Narcan, can reverse and even prevent life-threatening symptoms of an opioid overdose if the antidote is administered in time.
Life-threatening symptoms of respiratory depression (breathing problems), sedation and hypotension (low blood pressure) can take place very easily when a person's use of heroin or other opioids leads to an overdose. Powerful opioids can cause a person to stop breathing which can result in a fatal overdose and sadly today, this happens much too often.
Naloxone comes in the form of a liquid that's administered by injection and also an intranasal form of naloxone available in a nasal spray. According to a recent report from CBS St. Louis, officers in numerous police departments around the country are equipped with the nasal spray form of naloxone. Tim Fitch is the St. Louis County Police Chief, their report states the Chief wants his police officers to have the heroin antidote in their patrol cars too.
Chief Tim Fitch said about thirty percent of the time his officers arrive at a heroin overdose scene before the ambulance. The CBS St. Louis report says heroin deaths in the county total fifty five so for this year, the St. Louis County police chief wants his officers to have the nasal spray antidote so they can administer it to revive individuals that overdose.
