Florida Troopers Issued Opioid Overdose Antidote for Patrols
The Narcan units will help FHP troopers when they encounter an overdose situation while on patrol and also help protect first responders who may be accidentally exposed and overcome by the effects of dangerous opioids.
The Florida Highway Patrol is now issuing Narcan to troopers in an effort to save lives amid the opioid epidemic. Narcan is the brand name for the life-saving drug naloxone, which can take just seconds to revive an overdose victim. FHP is a division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV).
The Narcan units will help FHP members when they encounter an overdose situation while on patrol and also help protect first responders who may be accidentally exposed and overcome by the effects of dangerous opioids. Extremely small doses of the opioid fentanyl and analogs such as carfentanil can be fatal, and even exposure from minor skin contact has been known to cause severe medical issues and even death. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid and is 10,000 times more potent than morphine.
"The FHP is part of a concerted, collaborative effort to combat the opioid crisis, which has a far-reaching impact," said DHSMV Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes. "Safety for our troopers and those we serve has been and always will be the department's number one priority, and it's critical that our members can safely perform their jobs to help prevent any unnecessary injuries or deaths in our state."
Troopers in Broward, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin and Indian River counties were the first members of FHP to be issued Narcan because of the increasing number of overdose deaths in those counties. Narcan will be issued to additional troopers throughout the state by the end of February.