Pubdate: Fri, 07 Feb 2014
Source: USA Today (US)
Copyright: 2014 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/625HdBMl
Website: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/index.htm
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466
Author: Meghan Ralston
Note: Title by newshawk

HEROIN ADDICTION

It is extremely encouraging to hear more reports of law enforcement 
carrying naloxone, a drug that can reverse an opiate overdose. They 
should be praised for humanely expanding their mission "to protect 
and serve" all members of their communities, including the ones who 
use drugs. But we need to make sure that we don't stop there ("Police 
carry special drug to reverse heroin overdoses").

All too often, police are not the first witnesses to a drug overdose; 
parents, siblings, friends and caregivers are in many cases the 
actual "first responders" when someone accidentally overdoses on 
drugs. Naloxone works to prevent death from heroin only when it's 
used immediately. We need to make sure we're encouraging naloxone 
access and use among all people who might be present at the scene of 
an accidental drug overdose.

We've made incredible strides in raising awareness about the 
preventable nature of fatal overdoses, but we can't end this epidemic 
until lay people have the same access to this lifesaving medicine as 
police officers.

Meghan Ralston, Drug Policy Alliance

Los Angeles
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