Overdose Blocker Narcan to Help Pennsylvania LEOs

Law enforcement officers in Pennsylvania’s Lackawanna County will receive much-needed help in the fight against drug overdoses later this month.

According to CitizensVoice.com:

Naloxone, more commonly known by its commercial brand name Narcan, should be available to every police department in [Lackawanna] County by Sunday, First Assistant District Attorney Gene Talerico said. The spray blocks opioid receptors in the body to stop a heroin or other opioid overdose.

… Blocking opioid receptors is half the battle. Refreshing the brain with oxygen is critical for recovery, so police will use the mask to pump oxygen into the victim’s lungs.

Putting the nasal spray in the hands of police is key because they are typically first on the scene of an overdose. Sometimes there are only minutes to save the victim.

“When an opiate overdose occurs, time is of the essence,” James Dougherty, vice president of Marworth Treatment Center in Waverly Twp., told CitizensVoice.com.

Pennsylvania Ambulance will supply fresh spray containers to the departments when they are needed, CitizensVoice.com reported.

For more information on Narcan’s availability in Lackawanna County, please visit CitizensVoice.com.

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