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Bay Area Officials Continue Fighting the Opioid Crisis


The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that it will equip its narcotics officers and deputies in other specialized units with Narcan, an opioid overdose antidote.

Police departments across the East Coast and Midwest have been training on the use of the drug and now, some Bay Area police officers may be equipped with it as well.

“The type that we have is a nasal application and we can administer this dose of Narcan through the nasal passage and it goes through the person’s body,” said Detective Rosemerry Blankenswade from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

The move comes on the heels of this recommendation by the Civil Grand Jury, which suggests every police officer carry Narcan.

This past weekend, two undercover agents in Alameda County raided a suspected drug dealer’s home and became ill. One of them fainted after being exposed to Fentaynl in the air and responding officers gave them Narcan and it is believed the doses saved their lives.

“It’s certainly out there and something we’re aware of,” said Blankenswade. “But we also need the community to be aware that a lot of times it can be undetected and can be on a piece of paper if it’s in liquefied form.”

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office says it’s on board as well and will have their deputies carry Narcan kits as well since they say the opioid epidemic is no longer an East Coast or Midwest problem. It is in the Bay Area and they want to get ahead of it.

Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area
Source: NBC Bay Area

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