Morris Officers Begin Training on Use of Overdose Antidote

As the use of heroin and opiates continues to rise, especially in Morris County, the fight against drug overdoses has been kicked up a notch with the implementation of a Narcan training program for local police officers.

Training began Wednesday for 54 police officers working within Morris County thanks to a joint program between the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and Atlantic Ambulance Corporation.

Over the next few months participating police departments from Morris County will have their officers trained in the use of the life-saving antidote, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp said.

The Nasal Narcan product is an aerosol form of naloxone, a drug used to counter the effects of opiate overdose. Trained and certified police officers will be provided equipment for use in administering the drug, including medical gloves, syringe-atomizer, and a facemask for rescue breathing, Knapp said.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed the Overdose Prevention Act in 2013, which eliminates civil liability for both health care professionals dispensing Narcan and for “trained” individuals administering the drug.

“The heroin in our communities is at a historically high potency level resulting in many overdoses. Narcan, is another tool that will be deployed by our law enforcement community to tackle this potent poison,” Knapp said in a statement. “The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is taking a dynamic approach to combating our opiate epidemic. We will continue to increase our narcotics enforcement efforts that target drug dealers spreading poison into our communities. However, we must also deploy tools like Narcan to confront this state-wide narcotics epidemic and help prevent the unnecessary deaths of citizens suffering with opiate addictions.”