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Narcan & Police

Narcan & Police

Police carry special drug to reverse heroin overdoses

More police agencies across the country are considering Narcan as a fast way to treat overdose cases Ref. Source 2

Police and Narcan

Surgeon general urges more Americans to carry opioid antidote naloxone. The US surgeon general issued an advisory Thursday recommending that more Americans carry the opioid overdose-reversing drug, naloxone.

The drug, commonly known as Narcan, can very quickly restore normal breathing in someone suspected of overdosing on opioids, including heroin and prescription pain medications.

Dr. Jerome Adams emphasized that "Knowing how to use naloxone and keeping it within reach can save a life." To make his point, Adams relied on a rarely used tool: the surgeon general's advisory. The last such advisory was issued more than a decade ago and focused on drinking during pregnancy. Ref. CNN.