by Hunter Dawkins
Wednesday morning at City Hall, Long Beach Police Chief Billy Seal announced a beginning partnership with the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program to deploy numerous opioid overdose cases using Narcan. For the last 9 months, there have been under 50 lives saved through the usage of this operation.
“Harrison County is one of the largest places for opioid overdoses,” said Chief Seal. “Our officers have been trained this method, since its medical and there are only a few seconds to save a life.”
Narcan is a life saving tool for law enforcement because it causes no harm when administered. Narcan is a nasal spray, an emergency substance that counteracts the life threatening effects of an opioid overdose.
The only side effects are associated with withdrawal from the overdose, whereas it can be provided intranasal instead of a syringe. Trained Police Department employees are the only to use Narcan in case of accidental contact with Fentanyl, a dangerous potent drug.
Every Long Beach officer has or is in the process of being trained to use Narcan.
