Woodstock Officer Administers Narcan To Save Drug Overdose Victim

Photo credit: Patch file

Another Woodstock police officer has saved a person’s life after administering an antidote used to reverse the effects of a drug overdose.

Matthew Dunn with the Woodstock Police Department responded to a medical call around 2:45 p.m. Friday at a local business along Highway 92, the agency said on Saturday.

The victim was found unresponsive in the passenger seat of a vehicle in the parking lot and appeared to be suffering from a drug overdose.

Dunn, who was first to arrive onto the scene, assessed the victim’s needs and administered Narcan, an opioid receptor blocker used to reduce drug overdoses through nasal administration.

Woodstock police said the victim soon became responsive and was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

As part of its ongoing mission to enhance the quality of life for citizens of Woodstock, Woodstock officers in September 2014 received training on Narcan (also known as Naloxone) and how to administer the antidote.

Another Woodstock officer, Shane Bonebrake, also administered Narcan to a victim just weeks after receiving the training. Since the training, Woodstock officers have saved four lives to date, the agency said.

Dr. Jill Mabley, medical director with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services, conducted the Narcan training for Woodstock officers.

Used in hospitals for decades, nalaxone has no abuse potential and can be administered with basic training.

The medication is useful to temporarily reverse an overdose of heroin, codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, morphine and oxycodone.

In 2013, Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services was called out to 123 overdoses total and 50 received Narcan/Naloxone. So far this year, they have responded to 100 overdoses and 43 received Narcan/Naloxone.