More than 480 naloxone reversals deployed in the county in seven months
Press release issued by Camden County
Seven months ago, the Freeholder Board, Camden County Chiefs Association and healthcare providers came to the table with a plan to fund the life-saving tool, naloxone, for all police officers in the county. Since that time more than 480 naloxone reversals were deployed county-wide providing an antidote to the fatal effects of an opioid induced overdose.
Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli lauded the healthcare systems for tearing down the obstacles to get access to this life saving antidote and applauded the officers on the street administering it.
“For police today, having naloxone on their belt or in their car is no different than carrying their radio, handcuffs and firearm,” Cappelli said. “This is another tool that they can use to save a life, and I’ve spoken to officers that have deployed it more than 25 different times to protect the sanctity of life.”
The opioid epidemic has created a national public health crisis throughout the nation. One of the critical tools that first responders and frontline police officers are now carrying is called naloxone. This medication is an opioid antagonist and can, in most instances, make someone overdosing start breathing again by dislodging the opioid from the receptors in the brain.
The effects of opioids like heroin, fentanyl and OxyContin have proven deadly. Currently, about 120 people a day are dying of an opioid overdose throughout the country. Furthermore, out of the thousands of nonfatal overdoses that occurred in Camden County in 2017 more than 277 residents died of a fatal overdose.
In 2018, a memorandum was signed by the county’s four healthcare providers with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office to provide this medication to police officers. Hospital emergency departments have also been administering naloxone on a regular basis as well working in tandem with law enforcement.
The aggregate number being presented only accounts for deployments by law enforcement personnel and does not take into consideration other first responders administering naloxone. In addition, the total number also does not include deployments by private citizens or emergency department personnel.
Mark Nessel, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Lourdes Health System commented on the healthcare partners’ commitment to the community.
“The Opioid Crisis knows no demographic or geographic boundary, so it is imperative that our community and hospital partners utilize a collaborative approach,” Nessel said. “At Lourdes Health System, we have been proud to partner with Camden County along with Burlington County, where we have held a longstanding Narcan donation agreement.”
