The Winston Salem Police Department is getting a new supply of a drug that will help save lives. This is in response to an increase in opioid use and overdoses in the city.
The drug Naloxone is the antidote used to reverse emergency overdoses. It blocks the effects of opioids like morphine and heroin. The department used Naloxone 91 times last year, the first full year of use. Most officers now carry it, so if a call comes in reporting a possible overdose, they're prepared.
The supply of the antidote has been refilled by a non-profit organization called Project Lazarus. Lieutenant William Penn Jr. of the WinstonSalemPoliceDepartment Special Investigations Divison says the partnership is essential.
“They've been instrumental in getting us 100 kits recently. They're also community advocates out to prevent overdoses. We're on the law enforcement side, and they're in the community helping out as well,” he says.
The department also partners with the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition. It's a state organization that helps community and law enforcement not only at time of overdose, but in treating those who may be suffering from opioid addiction.