Police departments in Burlington County are now equipped with an antidote that can be used to reverse heroin overdoses.
Kits containing Narcan, the aerosol form of the drug Naloxone, has been distributed to 30 municipal police departments as well as the Burlington County Sheriff’s Department. More than 60 officers were trained to administer the antidote.
For many people who fatally overdose on heroin, death comes because they have stopped breathing. The Narcan antidote provides the person with the ability to breathe again. After it is administered, overdose victims will be given a medical evaluation, according to the antidote program’s protocol.
“This is a very powerful tool that has already shown to be very effective in other counties,” Burlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi said. “Narcan offers a second chance. We can only hope that those who are saved through this initiative realize how close they came to dying and use that as motivation to battle their addiction in an attempt to lead a drug-free life.”
Last month, Gov. Chris Christie announced the statewide expansion of the heroin antidote pilot program that was authorized in April for Monmouth and Ocean counties. Since then, Monmouth has performed 13 reversals and Ocean has performed 59. Camden County reported 24 uses of Narcan since May 9.
The antidote has yet to be used in Burlington County. After receiving an endorsement for the initiative from the Burlington County Police Chiefs’ Association, Prosecutor Bernardi authorized using approximately $6,500 in drug forfeiture money to fund the initial purchase of 209 Narcan kits.
