Narragansett Police Will Carry Narcan for Drug Overdose Victims

NARRAGANSETT, RI—Some 307 Rhode Islanders died in 2016 from drug overdoses, the state health department estimates, and the drug Narcan could have saved some of those victims. Now the Narragansett police will be carrying Narcan. The money to train police in the drug administration and to pay for the Narcan supply is coming from East Providence. Earlier this year, the state health department said the drug is part of its strategy to save lives, but 10 Rhode Island communities did not not carry naxolone or train its officers in how to administer it. Then East Providence and North Providence offered to dip into their Google settlement funds to buy naxolone for other police departments. Narragansett was one of seven departments to accept the offer.

The Google money comes from the settlement Google agreed to pay after a 2011 investigation into its advertising practices. The state police have used some of the Google money to buy naxolone since 2014. As more departments come on board, the number is down to three police departments statewide that still do not have the drug for emergencies.

Expanding access to naloxone is the focus of the rescue strategy of the action plan developed by Governor Raimondo’s Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force," the health department said. "The other three focus areas of the plan are prevention, treatment, and recovery.

"The Task Force’s goal is to reduce overdose deaths by one-third within three years," the health department said.

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