Deputy Credited With Saving Man's Life

SARASOTA, FL — A quick-thinking Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputy is being credited with saving a man’s life Friday night.

According to the sheriff’s office, it received a call about a possible heroin overdose around 11:20 p.m. When Deputy Jimmy Adams arrived on the scene, he found a man in his 30s unresponsive with a needle sticking out of his arm. After confirming signs of an overdose, Adams used a Naloxone auto-injector to open the man’s airway and help him breath.

“This is a huge asset to law enforcement,” said Sheriff Tom Knight in a statement. “Our men and women in uniform have received extensive training on how to use this auto-injector and are gaining confidence in its success. Without Deputy Adams’ swift action, this young man might not be with us today. Now he has a second chance.”

See Also:

• Heroin Overdoses Have Sheriff’s Office Taking Action
• Rash of Heroin Overdoses Reported in Sarasota

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office announced in December that it had trained 50 of its deputies, supervisors and training section personnel how to use Naloxone auto-injectors. The medication is used to combat the effects of opioid overdoes and can prevent overdose deaths in some cases.

Heroin overdoses have become all too common in Sarasota County over the past year or so. The agency began using Naloxone to stem the tide of deaths associated with the illegal drug’s use.

In July, the Sarasota Police Department alone fielded three heroin overdose calls in a 72-hour period.

“Heroin use, specifically, is especially dangerous because those selling the drugs are cutting it with other unknown drugs in order to make a profit,” the police department wrote in a July email.

In March 2015, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued an alert about fentanyl and fentanyl-laced compounds. This substance is commonly cut into heroin, the police department said. Heroin itself is sold in powder form and is usually white, off white or brown in color. The drug is snorted, injected or smoked. The fast-acting opiate can give users a temporary sense of euphoria.

Signs of heroin use may include:

• Vomiting and scratching
• Slurred speech
• Constipation or nausea
• Failure to eat
• Neglectful self-care
• Wearing long sleeves to cover arms

Help for heroin users available. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration operates a 24-hour hotline where people can obtain assistance. The number to call is 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Photos of Deputy Jimmy Adams and Naloxone courtesy of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office