CL Police to Carry Antidote to Heroin Overdose

A press release from the Crystal Lake Police Department:

Crystal Lake Police Issue Officers Narcan to Combat Opiate Overdoses

On Wednesday, April 23, 2014, Chief James Black has announced that Crystal Lake Police Officers will now be equipped with nasal Naloxone or Narcan as it is commonly referred.

Narcan is a non-addictive drug that can potentially reverse a fatal opioid overdose.

The Crystal Lake Police Department has been approved by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to administer nasal Narcan and has modeled its program after the DuPage County Narcan program.

The Crystal Lake Police Department is still committed to arresting narcotics offenders and traffickers and will make every attempt to eradicate illegal drugs from the community.

Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in the county over the last several years of heroin related incidents and deaths.

Our job in public safety is to save lives; by equipping the officers with nasal Narcan, we have given them another tool to do just that.

The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department, Mathers Clinic, and Wake the Nation were instrumental in assisting us with implementing this program.

Crystal Lake Police Officers are in the process of completing their in-service training to administer nasal Narcan and will begin carrying the drug with them on patrol within the next two weeks.


Comments

CL Police to Carry Antidote to Heroin Overdose — 18 Comments

  1. We may finally have a Chief who is interested in the best interests of the citizens rather than trying his best to destroy them.

    I am getting to like this Chief.

  2. A smart and proactive decision by the City of Crystal Lake and Chief Black.

    Well done.

  3. So how does this Narcan situation work?

    Street officer makes the diagnosis and dispenses the miracle cure? (free of charge?)

    Is the patient then transported to a hospital and/or arrested or does everyone just go home?

    Seriously, how does DuPage handle it?

    Why cops and not ambulance techs?

  4. Well I can see the unnecessary liability and lawsuits coming from that.

    I’m really surprised that someone thinks it is a smart and proactive decision as Harrison seems to think.

    I TOTALLY agree with C U there.

    A paramedic with extensive training still has to contact a doctor.

    An officer I do not think will be having that type of training to diagnosis this condition when it could be so many other things.

    So before I would make a statement of how wonderful it is I would have to look into this a lot more before making a rash decision and say well done.

  5. The Illinois Department of Professional Regulations needs to be aware of this decision..

    It is my understanding that you have to be licensed to dispense and give drugs to individuals in Illinois..

    I will be putting in a call tomorrow.

  6. Yes Duncan, thank you. I can see why Attorneys would like this new policy, more legal proceedings in front of the Judges at the McHenry County Court House . . . more plea deals at the expense of the Taxpayer.

  7. Illinois passed a law in 2010 allowing this drug to be administered by non-medical personnel.

    I haven’t seen the CL policy, but I am sure it’s only to be used when the police arrive on scene prior to the paramedics getting there and only in cases of obvious life-threatening overdoses.

    It’s really no different than police carrying AEDs.

  8. First let me say that I am not against this drug however I would like to know what would happen if an officer administered this drug to someone who they “thought” was having a overdose but actually wasn’t.

    Would this harm the person.

    Also, it is really a judgement call by the officer.

    Scenario:

    An officer is the first to arrive on the scene waiting for ambulance

    The officer makes a judgement call that the person is not having an overdose

    He does not administer the Narcon

    The ambulance arrives and the person dies

    The emergency room doctors say that the person died of an overdose

    Now you can bet your bottom dollar that the family of the deceased person is going to file
    suit against the officer and the County,town, city

    The officer had training to identify an overdose, had the narcan that would have saved his life but didn’t give it to him.

    Now what???

    There are too many scenarios, too many what ifs.

    So I think any one who wants to implement this practice into their law enforcement agency should really take a long hard look at the consequences and liability they may have. Let the paramedics do their job and let the police do theirs.

  9. Yes and who is going to suffer over a wrong decision.

    Not the law enforcement department.

    It will be the officer.

    Do you think for one minute that they are going to stand behind the officer in a lawsuit.

    No they will say to the officer.

    We trained you and you were the one who made a bad call.

    I think this will only stir up the officers and they will bring in their union.

  10. Nalxone is a benign substance.

    it works only to reverse opiate overdose.

    If the individual isn’t experiencing an opiate overdose, nothing will happen to them.

    Naloxone is essential like injecting saline water into an individual who isn’t overdosing.

    I, or you, could do it to myself (yourself) and nothing will happen.

    Additionally naloxone is a nonscheduled drug any person can be trained to carry and administer it in the state of illinois.

    Check out stopoverdoseil.org for more information on the Good Sam act and IL Public Act 096-0361

    I applaud the police for taking the necessary steps and precautions to get educated, unlike some who commented above.

  11. Many questions can be answered and fears allayed by reading the law (20 ILCS 301/5-23) and checking out websites like stopoverdoseil.org and drugs.com

    All Narcan does is reverse the effects of opioids (e.g. respiratory failure).

    If Narcan is administered to someone experiencing problems not related to opioids, it will simply have no effect at all.

    Furthermore, IL law protects the individual who administers (or decides not to administer) Narcan from prosecution provided the person acts in good faith.

    Some of the pessimism in these comments reminds me of those who would refuse to use the Heimlich maneuver out of fear they’d be sued if they break the person’s ribs.

    The fact is, the police officer often arrives at the scene several minutes before the paramedics.

    The ability for a police officer to administer Narcan is really no different than the police officer using an AED when he or she arrives at the scene of a cardiac arrest prior to the paramedics getting there.

    It’s not the be-all end-all, but it is a useful tool that could save lives.

  12. Sorry for repeating some of your comments, “Get Educated”- yours didn’t post until after I wrote mine.

    I re-read the CLPD press release.

    They won’t even be giving injections- they’ll be using the nasal spray.

  13. Voter- A medic does not need to call a doctor to push Narcan.

    If they suspect a OD and there is respiratory depression they can push it per there SOPs

  14. In my many experiences as having to call 911 for an ambulance I can tell you the Police ALWAYS arrive first.

    My experience was not drugs but alcohol and the Police get there about 5-10 minutes before the paramedics.

    That’s why it’s smart for the police to carry this spray.

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