The Selma Police Department will become the second law enforcement agency in Johnston County to be able to carry and administer Narcan. Narcan is a life-saving drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
In 2015, 29 people died in Johnston County from opiate and heroin overdoses.(Statistics for 2016 are not yet available. Across the US, opioid deaths have quadrupled since 1999, with those between the ages of 25 and 54 more likely to die of an overdose.
Selma Police Chief R.A. Cooper said Narcan is a nasal spray that can counteract the life threatening effect of an opioid overdose. Every second counts with administering the drug. Many times the victims do not have time to be transported to the hospital to given Narcan. And if the person is not having an opioid crisis, Chief Cooper said narcan will not cause harm to a person.
Chief Cooper said this is another method Selma Police can use to help protect the lives of its citizens.
Presently, only the Clayton Police Department is training to administer Narcan. The Benson Police Department is considering its use.
The cost is $40 per dose. It will be placed in all 6 of Selma’s patrol cars at a cost of $240. Grant funds are available to help offset the costs.
The police chief said officers often run into unknown substances on the streets.
“A police officer can ingest opioids without meaning to. It could be used to save the life of a police officer or even a police K-9,” Cooper told members of the Selma town council who unanimously approved the training and use procedures.
Each time Narcan is administered by an officer, a full report must be filed by the officer including the patient’s outcome.
State law protects police and first responders who have undergone proper training that administer Narcan.
An estimated 1 out of every 4 people in the US prescribed an opioid struggle with addiction.
