POLICE officers in Solihull are the latest at West Midlands Police to be trained to use the drug overdose antidote Naloxone.
Some illegal drugs like heroin, morphine and fentanyl can slow down and even stop people breathing, but Naloxone reverses this effect and buys time until paramedics arrive.
West Midlands Police has been leading the way for a number of years as the first police force in the country to have some of its officers carrying Naloxone as part of their first aid kit.
It was recently used to revive a woman in West Bromwich who had taken an overdose.
So far more than 150 neighbourhood police officers in Birmingham, Sandwell and Walsall have been trained and are already carrying the spray. Solihull and Dudley police officers have been undergoing training and it is the PCC’s intention that Coventry and Wolverhampton officers also complete the training.
The Naloxone training was provided free of charge by Change Grow Live and Solihull Integrated Addiction Services.
It can be used in an emergency without prescription, is easy to deliver and has no effects on those who aren’t suffering from an overdose. The medication has been funded by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and has cost just shy of £15,000.
Assistant PCC Tom McNeil, said: “Officers carrying Naloxone out on the beat can feel reassured they have a magic formula on them that has the power to prevent death.
“A person overdosing is someone’s family member, friend, or partner and every death is a tragedy. Naloxone helps us prevent this avoidable human loss.
“Officers are often involved in securing scenes after fatal overdoses for many hours, and experience these traumatic events themselves.
“This scheme is helping to reduce the number of overdoses, is saving lives, and ensuring officers can spend more time tackling crime.”
