For Immediate Release
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-791-7627
Email: [email protected]
Burlington Police Deploy Nasal Narcan in All Cruisers
Officers Recently Completed Training Program on Narcan Administration
BURLINGTON — Burlington Police Chief Michael R. Kent announces that the Burlington Police Department has rolled out Nasal Narcan (Naloxone), in all police vehicles.
“Overdose and death by heroin and opiates is one of the most serious problems police and emergency responders are encountering, and no community is immune,” Chief Kent said. “I am proud of the partnerships the Burlington Police Department has formed to respond to this crisis.”
The Naloxone roll-out came about partially thanks to strong cooperation between the BPD Supervisors and Patrol Unions, who both agreed that implementing a Narcan program immediate was in the best interests of the community.
Heroin and opioid overdose are leading causes of death in Massachusetts. The problem recently moved Governor Deval Patrick to declare it a public health crisis in March. Burlington is one of the first police departments in the state to mandate the carrying of narcan in all of its cruisers.
While Burlington has not had a confirmed heroin overdose death in the past three years, there have been two overdose deaths in town, one of which was from opiate overdose.
Members of the department were trained by Burlington Detective Paul J. Glejzer and Officer Dan Houston, who recently became certified through a “Train the Trainer” program offered by the office of Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan. The roll-out was completed with help and advice from Dr. Daniel Muse of Brockton Hospital.
Narcan, the brand name for Naloxone, is an “opioid antagonist,” which means it displaces opioid from receptors in the brain and can immediately reverse the effects of an overdose. Narcan has few side effects, and it will not harm a patient who has not overdosed. Nasal Narcan does not use needles/sharps, further increasing its safety. Narcan can be used to reverse heroin overdose, as well as overdoses of OxyContin, Percocet, Percodan, and hydrocodone drugs like Vicodin.
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