Dedham Police Deploys Nasal Narcan in All Cruisers

All Dedham Police Cruisers are now outfitted with Nasal Naloxone, otherwise known as Narcan.

According to a recent press release, the announcement was made by Dedham Police Chief Michael J. d’Entremont.

Opioid overdose is now one of the leading causes of death in Massachusetts, leading Governor Deval Patrick to declare it a public health crisis in March.

Narcan, the brand name for Naloxone, is an “opioid antagonist,” which means it displaces opioid from receptors in the brain and can immediately reverse the effects of an overdose. Narcan has few side effects, and it will not harm a patient who has not overdosed. Nasal Narcan does not use needles/sharps, further increasing its safety. Narcan can be used to reverse heroin overdose, as well as overdoses of OxyContin, Percocet, Percodan, and hydrocodone drugs like Vicodin.

If someone you know exhibits signs of a drug overdose, call 911 immediately. Good Samaritan Laws offer protections for callers from simple drug possession charges when seeking medical attention for an overdose victim.

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