DARLINGTON - The City of Darlington Police Department recently announced it has entered into an agreement with Rural Medical Ambulance Service to stock all Darlington police cars with Narcan, a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of opiate-based drug overdoses, like heroin.
According to Darlington Police Chief Jason King, all Darlington police officers attended training to learn how to use Narcan and the department recently finalized its partnership with Rural Medical Ambulance Service to receive the medicine. The decision to enter into the agreement is a result of the continued spread of heroin abuse throughout the state, which both police and EMS believe will inevitably affect Darlington.
According to the Wisconsin Heroin Working Group, prescription pill abuse continues to be a rising problem nationwide and many abused prescription pills are addictive opiate-based pills, chemically similar to heroin.
It is common for prescription pill users to become abusers and then switch to heroin as a cheaper alternative. Many heroin users abuse heroin and prescription pills concurrently.
WHWG predicts the increase in the abuse of opiate-based prescription pills in Wisconsin will mirror the national trend, and further drive an increase in the use of heroin in Wisconsin. The increasing abuse of prescription pills likely will lead more individuals to use heroin as a lower cost alternative for their addictions. The increasing use of heroin will lead to increased overdoses and an increased demand for law enforcement, emergency response and treatment services.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, heroin - which was traditionally thought of as a problem confined to big cities, desperate people and dark alleys - has found a new foothold in Wisconsin's small towns and suburban communities.
The DOJ further points out heroin victims aren't hardened addicts, either. They are teens and young adults from all walks of life.
Deploying Narcan in squad cars may save the life of an individual who has made some poor choices but hopefully will be given a second chance to start anew.
According to Darlington Police Chief Jason King, all Darlington police officers attended training to learn how to use Narcan and the department recently finalized its partnership with Rural Medical Ambulance Service to receive the medicine. The decision to enter into the agreement is a result of the continued spread of heroin abuse throughout the state, which both police and EMS believe will inevitably affect Darlington.
According to the Wisconsin Heroin Working Group, prescription pill abuse continues to be a rising problem nationwide and many abused prescription pills are addictive opiate-based pills, chemically similar to heroin.
It is common for prescription pill users to become abusers and then switch to heroin as a cheaper alternative. Many heroin users abuse heroin and prescription pills concurrently.
WHWG predicts the increase in the abuse of opiate-based prescription pills in Wisconsin will mirror the national trend, and further drive an increase in the use of heroin in Wisconsin. The increasing abuse of prescription pills likely will lead more individuals to use heroin as a lower cost alternative for their addictions. The increasing use of heroin will lead to increased overdoses and an increased demand for law enforcement, emergency response and treatment services.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, heroin - which was traditionally thought of as a problem confined to big cities, desperate people and dark alleys - has found a new foothold in Wisconsin's small towns and suburban communities.
The DOJ further points out heroin victims aren't hardened addicts, either. They are teens and young adults from all walks of life.
Deploying Narcan in squad cars may save the life of an individual who has made some poor choices but hopefully will be given a second chance to start anew.