National Sheriffs’ Association Leads Police Training on Nalaxone
The pilot program will provide nalaxone kits to certain jurisdictions.
The association gives police training, law enforcement information resources and education to the Office of the Sheriff.
The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) and pharmaceutical manufacturer Purdue Pharma L.P. announced the launch of a pilot program to support training of front-line officers on the use of the “rescue drug” naloxone, which can reverse the fatal overdose effects of some opioids, including heroin, on Dec. 7.
As part of this initiative, select law enforcement agencies will receive overdose kits to be disseminated in certain jurisdictions. Funding for this initiative is made possible through a $350,000 grant from Purdue Pharma.
The number of states that have enacted “rescue drug” laws, allowing broader access to naloxone, has doubled since 2013. These laws, first adopted by New Mexico in 2007, enable medical professionals and first responders to administer naloxone, without fear of legal repercussions.
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“Training and equipping deputies with naloxone is similar to putting a defibrillator, a tourniquet or other lifesaving equipment in squad cars,” said Sheriff Rich Stanek of Hennepin County, Minn.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 44 people in the U.S. die every day from overdose of prescription painkillers. Many of these tragedies could be prevented with the administration of naloxone.
The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) is a professional organization dedicated to serving the Office of Sheriff and its affiliates through police education, police training, and general law enforcement information resources.
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