A message from the Huntley Police Department:

HPD now carries Narcan to help combat opiate overdose cases

The Huntley Police Department, under the authority of the Kane County Health Department, has begun training and equipping its officers with Narcan.

Narcan, also known as Naloxone, is an opioid antagonist.

Narcan is used to reverse opioid overdoses, including heroin.

Narcan works by temporarily reversing the effects of an opioid, whether illicit or prescription use, thereby allowing an affected person to regain consciousness and resume normal breathing.

The Narcan will be administered through a nasal spray. 

The first group of trained and equipped officers hit the street with Narcan on Tuesday, September 23, 2014.

All sworn officers, along with the community service officer, will be trained and equipped with Narcan by October 1, 2014.

Each officer will carry two doses of the Narcan. 

The Kane County Health Department reports heroin use is increasing in the United States. In 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control, it contributed to more than 3,300 deaths and continues to grow.

Kane County reported seven (7) heroin related deaths in 2010. That number increased exponentially to 26 in 2012. 

The impact of heroin is no longer exclusive to the inner city of Chicago, but now impacts those nearby suburbs such as ours in Kane and McHenry Counties.

The availability of Narcan helps first responders increase the chance of survival of an overdose patient.