By Kellen Olshefski
Editor
Walworth County Sheriff’s Office announces deputies in the Patrol Division began carrying Naloxone on July 2.
According to the release from the Sheriff’s Office, Naloxone, which is marked under various trademarks including Narcan, can be used to counter the effects of an opiate overdose.
According to the Harm Reduction Coalition – founded in 1993 with a mission of promoting health and dignity of individuals and communities impacted by drug use – Naloxone is used in opioid overdoses to counteract life-threatening depression of the central nervous and respiratory systems, allowing overdose victims to breathe normally. The non-scheduled, prescription medication only works if a person has opioids in their system, having no effect if they are absent, according to the coalition’s website.
According to the coalition, Naloxone, which has no potential for abuse, can be injected into the muscle, vein or under the skin, or sprayed into the nose, and wears off between 20 minutes and 90 minutes.
According to the coalition, opiate overdoses occur when too much of an opioid, like heroin or Oxycontin, fits into opioid receptors in the brain, resulting the slowing and then stopping of breathing. The coalition’s site said Naloxone knocks opioids out of the receptors, blocking them for a short time, allowing a person to breathe again, essentially reversing the overdose.
The release said deputies have been trained to administer Naloxone to a suspected opiate overdose prior to the arrival of EMS personnel.
The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office joins other municipal law enforcement agencies in Walworth County that carry the medication to counter the effects of an opiate overdose.
“This effort represents yet another strategy with an integrated approach including prevention, harm reduction, law enforcement and treatment to create a safer and healthier community,” Walworth County Sheriff Kurt Picknell said.
For more on the Harm Reduction Coalition, visit harmreduction.org.
