Police officers across Northamptonshire to carry medical nasal spray to save lives following drug overdose
A number of police officers across Northamptonshire will soon carry a medical nasal spray, designed to save lives of those who have overdosed on drugs.
Neighbourhood officers working on the Operation Revive programme in Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering, will now be carrying Naloxone, having been trained and certified in its use.
According to Northamptonshire Police, more frontline officers will soon also be able to choose to carry Naloxone when the specialised training is rolled out further.
The nasal spray is an emergency antidote for overdoses caused by heroin and other opiates or opioids. The medication works by temporarily reversing the effects of the overdose.
The carrying of Naloxone by officers is voluntary and full training will be provided to all officers who sign up to the scheme.
Detective Superintendent Steve Watkins, who is leading the project, said the spray had been successfully a number of forces including others across the East Midlands region.
He said: “Sadly, we are encountering more drug overdose victims, in part due to the proliferation in the use of highly dangerous synthetic drugs.
“Naloxone gives frontline officers an opportunity to administer a vital lifeline to users who have overdosed on heroin or heroin cut with synthetic drugs.
“We’re training a number of our frontline officers to use the spray, which can be used to counteract the effects of the overdose and prevent a person from dying, pending emergency medical support from ambulance.
“The spray is already being used by ambulance crews and other partners in the county, with the move to equip our police officers with the spray providing further opportunities to prevent drug-related deaths from synthetic opioids.
“The uptake will be on a voluntary basis but at the end of the pilot we will explore the impact of the trial to determine whether we continue to equip officers going forward.”
The force is working with partners including with Public Heath England, CGL and S2S as part of the pilot.
In 2005, Naloxone was added to a list of medicines that anyone can legally administer in an emergency to save a life. Since February 2019, Naloxone has been available in a pre-packaged nasal spray.