350 Lives Saved By Narcan In Camden Since 2014: Police

Camden County Police officers administered Narcan to five overdose victims in August, bringing to 350 the number of lives saved since the anti-opioid medication was first deployed in May 2014, county officials announced on Monday.

On Sunday, Aug. 5, at 3:20 a.m., Officer Vincenzo Dolce responded to Yorkship Square where officers located a woman inside a taxi who was overdosing and was unconscious and struggling to breathe. Dolce administered Narcan. The woman eventually regained consciousness while being taken to Cooper University Hospital.

On Tuesday, Aug. 7, at 6:28 p.m., Officer Dennis Smarth was on patrol in the area of Broadway and Chestnut Street when he was alerted to a man inside a parked car who was experiencing a heroin overdose. Smarth saw that the man was unresponsive and struggling to breathe. He administered Narcan and the victim soon regained consciousness before being taken to Cooper University Hospital for treatment.

On Tuesday, Aug. 14, just before 8:30 p.m., Officer Dolce responded to the corner of Broadway and Kaighn Avenue where he found a woman who was lying on the ground unconscious after an overdose. Dolce administered Narcan and the victim became responsive and was treated by EMTs at the scene.

On Thursday, Aug. 16, just before midnight, Officers Kyle Bowman and Ryan Fink located a woman near the corner of Broadway and Walnut Street who had just begun to overdose and lost consciousness. Fink administered Narcan and the woman quickly regained consciousness before being treated at the scene by medical personnel.

On Saturday, Aug. 18, just after 7:30 p.m., Officer Dolce responded to an abandoned property on the 700 block of Kaighn Avenue where officers had found a woman who was unresponsive after an overdose. Dolce quickly administered Narcan, and the woman eventually regained consciousness before being taken to Cooper University Hospital.

To date in 2018, there have been a total of 317 recorded drug overdoses in the city, including 41 fatal overdoses. The Camden County Police Department and other agencies have issued public safety alerts about the danger to drug users purchasing narcotics in the city and has distributed informational cards throughout the city encouraging anyone who witnesses an overdose to immediately call 911 and report it. Anyone with information about the distribution, sale or use of drugs should call the department’s anonymous tip line at 856-757-7042.

On Oct. 7, 2015, Camden County Freeholder-Director Louis Cappelli Jr. announced the launch of Operation SAL, a pilot program to provide detoxification and addiction treatment/rehabilitation services to overdose victims in the county.

For information about Operation SAL and other available treatment services for drug users and families, including crisis hotline numbers, visit the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force website at addictions.camdencounty.com. For addiction help call the CRISIS hotline at 877-266-8222 or call 911 in the event of an emergency.

Patch file photo