Public safety crews in Massachusetts that help reverse drug overdoses have new lifesaving tool. This time it isn’t a medication, but a timely change in state law. Now that police and other first responders are making regular use of naloxone to prevent deaths due to opioid drugs, they have found that “saves” don’t always last, leaving at risk the very people they have rushed to help.
In nearly a quarter of all cases in which naloxone was used in Massachusetts in 2015, this substance, also known as Narcan, had to be administered more than once, according to the state health department. If the first responders had packed up and gone, believing their intervention complete and successful, the person who overdosed might rally and appear to be recovered, only to relapse as the effects of Narcan wear off, risking death.
To address that, a new law signed by Gov. Charlie Baker last Friday as part of a budget bill will allow police to bring someone who has overdosed to a hospital or drug treatment center if they feel they remain at risk. Police already usher those overcome by alcohol use into protective custody. Expanding this to cover those at risk of overdose makes sense. Rather than sobering up in a police station or at home, this protection would be provided in a medical setting.
One advocate of this new practice, Deerfield Police Chief John Paciorek, says police needed a new tool. He’s been pushing for this one. It’s another instance of police expanding their reach and responsibilities, but with public safety in mind.