SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES FIRST IN STATE TO CARRY OVERDOSE ANTIDOTE

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East County News Service July 13, 2014

(Santee)-Sheriff’s deputies in Santee will be the first law enforcement officers in California to carry a potentially life-saving treatment for people who have overdosed on drugs.

When someone is not breathing and suffering from an opiate overdode, every second counts. The Sheriff's Deputies are often the first to arrive on scene and are in a position to save overdose victims.



Effective July 7th, deputies at the Santee Sheriff’s station are now carrying Naloxene, the generic form of the drug commonly known as Narcan. It is a nasal spray that can be given to victims of an opiate overdose to help save their lives.

Naloxone does not produce a high. Opiates are a group of commonly abused drugs that are used to treat pain. An overdose of heroin or other opiates can reduce a person’s ability to breathe and leave the user unconscious. Untreated, the user could die.

Deputies patrolling Santee, Lakeside and unincorporated areas of El Cajon will test Naloxone for six months to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of implementing the program throughout the San Diego County Sheriff’s jurisdiction.

The program will be administered under the direction of County Emergency Medical Services Director, Doctor Bruce Haynes. Dr. Haynes was instrumental in developing the protocol, procedures and training necessary for the deputies to administer Naloxone.

The program supplements and supports existing emergency medical response protocols by allowing deputies to administer Naloxone before the arrival of emergency medical services units. Emergency medical services personnel will take over treatment once they arrive.

If the program is successful, soon law enforcement officers statewide may have a new tool to help save lives.


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