Number of Lives Saved by State Troopers Using Narcan Reaches Milestone in CT

In two years, Connecticut State Police Troopers, using the antidote Narcan, have saved the lives of 100 people who overdosed on opioids, announced Gov. Dannel Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman Monday.

The milestone 100th save occurred Sunday morning in Woodbury. A state law enacted in 2014 gave civil and criminal liability protection to anybody who administers Narcan in good faith to an individual experiencing an overdose, and troopers have done a great job using the medication, Malloy said.

“Connecticut’s state troopers are among the best in the nation, and this is proof positive that their dedication to the residents of this state is having a lasting impact,” said Gov. Malloy in a statement. “Training and equipping our state’s first responders was a common sense step in our efforts to combat the alarming, nationwide trend of heroin and prescription drug abuse. Not only are these frontline men and women saving lives, but their action is helping people begin the necessary path toward treatment and recovery, and I thank them for their service.”

Added Lt. Gov. Wyman, “Giving first responders access to Narcan – and the training to use it – saves lives. This announcement makes clear just how important this strategy has been to our overall efforts to combat opioid abuse. But more importantly, it speaks to our commitment to protecting to public health and the residents who deal with addiction.”

Local police departments throughout the state have also started equipping officers with Narcan, for which the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and other agencies provides training.

“I am proud of our troopers. Their commitment to the safety and wellbeing of everyone who lives in Connecticut, including residents grappling with opioid addiction, is second to none,” said DESPP Commissioner Dora Schriro. “One hundred people who were in severe medical distress were given a second chance to address their addiction because of the actions of Connecticut State Troopers.”

To further combat the recent epic of opioid overdoses in Connecticut, the state has enacted additional laws:

• the 2011 adoption of Good Samaritan laws protecting individuals from prosecution for minor drug crimes who seek medical attention for a friend experiencing an overdose (Public Act 11-210);
• the 2012 adoption of third party prescriber laws allowing the prescription of naloxone to an individual who is not the direct user of the drug (Public Act 12-159);
• the 2014 expansion of Good Samaritan protections for any person who, in good faith, administers naloxone to save a life. Previously, only licensed health care practitioners were allowed to administer the medication without being civilly or criminally liable for the action. Following the law’s adoption, all Connecticut State Police Troopers completed a training program providing them with the skills to administer the medication. (Public Act 14-61);
• the 2015 adoption of legislation that expanded prescriber education, made use of the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) mandatory for all prescribers of controlled substances, expanded the scope of practice for pharmacists to allow them to directly prescribe naloxone and reconstituted the Alcohol and Drug Policy Council (ADPC) as a statewide coordinating body to fight the spread of substance abuse and overdose (Public Act 15-198); and
• the 2016 legislative package that, among other things, limits (with certain exceptions) the prescribing of opioid drugs to seven days, and requires municipalities to update their medical service plans to ensure first responders are equipped with Narcan (Public Act 16-43).

In May, Governor Malloy also announced the creation of a partnership between his office, several state agencies, the Yale School of Medicine, and Connecticut’s insurance carriers to develop a strategic plan that will help continue guiding the state’s response to the opioid epidemic.

Led by Dr. David Fiellin of Yale, this effort currently is in the process of developing a succinct, prioritized, three-year strategy for the state on opioid addiction and overdoses, emphasizing strategic initiatives to prevent and treat addiction based on evidence, public input, and judgment about where efforts can have the most impact.