In April, the Texas Department of Transportation decided to add the overdose reversal drug, Narcan, to their emergency supply reservoir to combat drug overdoses in the field.
In 2017, more than 47,000 people overdosed in the United States, including some on the South Plains, said Lt. Bryan Witt, the Public Information Officer for DPS. He said it is a growing problem.
“Some of the narcotics we have seized on the road or in the county have had a few traces (of fentanyl),” said Troy McKee, with DPS Highway Patrol. “The main cases I am aware of right now are up in Amarillo and the Panhandle.”
Witt said every officer will be provided with Narcan to carry with them over the course of the next month.
“In the event we come across somebody that has overdosed on opioids, we can administer Narcan in their system and hopefully bring them back,” he said.
In addition, Witt said if DPS officers are exposed to the potent drug, they can also be given Narcan to save them.
Dr. Juan Fitz, an emergency medical physician with Covenant Medical Center, said supplying law enforcement with Narcan has been a controversial topic.
“Yes, it will save lives, but from some people’s perspectives it is encouraging the behavior,” Fitz said.
When Narcan was first being used, Fitz said overdose victims would be given Narcan, become coherent, and then they would run.
“So they have no medical follow-up care,” he said.
If officers are going to carry it, he said timing is important.
“Now they are just administering enough to start arousing them so they start breathing and as soon as you hear the ambulance, see the ambulance or the fire department approach closer, they administer more to wake them more,” he said.
Since DPS began carrying Narcan, Witt said they have seen their first success story.
“I do know DPS administered their first Narcan spray in the valley about a week ago that saved the life of an individual that overdosed on opium,” he said.
