This is something that is going on across the book of faces and mostly from cops and I sincerely do not get.
Narcan nasal is not a difficult medicine to use. It is not expensive and I do believe that any cop who wishes to carry it for life-saving duties, should do so. A five-minute trip around Youtube shows that the application of the “Emergency opioid antagonist” as it is called in the Florida Statutes is as difficult as using a nose spray for the cold… because it is a nose spray.
I had a great exchange with Andrew Branca who opposes cops having Narcan. He points out that it is a potential lawsuit against the agency and therefore a waste of taxpayers’ money. Although I agree that anybody can bring a lawsuit against anybody or any department, the “Emergency opioid antagonist” laws offer a wide protection and the lawsuits would not proceed, specially if the state has a way to force the asshole to pay for court and lawyer’s costs.
A lot of cops are carrying Individual First Aid Kits and tourniquets without “official training” and department approval. These are life-saving devices same as the Narcan and if the excuse is that they would only used the IFAK and/or tourniquet on themselves of a fellow officer, the same can be said for Narcan after it is already a thing for officers to be accidentally exposed to Fentanyl like in Ohio and in Pennsylvania and two officers in West Virginia. And here in Miami, we learned about the sad death of a 10-year-old boy, and I doubt very much any cop would not mind standing doing nothing and watching an innocent kid die because they don’t wanna carry Narcan out of some misguided principle.
Again, I do believe on voluntary carry only (for both cops and civilians) and hopefully in a state like Florida that has a damned good Great Samaritan law and backed up with a Narcan Law.
If you agree or disagree, please expand in the comments. Do remember to keep it civil.
I believe that all police officers should be trained as EMTs if not full Paramedics. Just like all firefighters are. Police are usually the first to respond to an emergency. They should be able to do more for a heart attack, car crash, anaphylactic shock, etc than stand around with their thumb up their ass. Every cop should have an epi pen, nitro, defibrillator, etc and know how to use it.
J, you don’t have to be an Paramedic, much less an EMT to be taught how to use those things and be ‘certified’ to know when and how to use them in emergencies.
Take a few moments before giving the narcan to apply some restraints to the ‘victim’, because when they awaken you WILL have a fight on your hands
The police who carry immediate first aid kits often times do it to treat themselves or another officer in case they are shot….
So, they don’t see the need to carry narcan.
@fllghterdoc – …narcan has nothing to do with getting shot
I have no idea why anyone would be against allowing them to optionally decide to carry something. It’s their belt…they can put on it what they want.
Also, who said there aren’t police that carry epi-pens or nitro tabs? Seems like a false assumption from the get-go.
NIck L. had issues trying to post his comment and he emailed it to me:
“I’ve administered all 3* over a long career. Nalaxone, i.e., Narcan is
by far the safest drug to administer for the altered mental status or
unconscious patient. It only competes for the same receptors as an
opioid narcotic. You are far more likely to have an allergic reaction
to the non-active ingredients that Nalaxone is packaged in than the
drug itself. One cannot say the same for the rest.
Insulin, epinephrine and nitroglycerin can cause deathly deleterious
effects if given to every person who appears to be an overdose.
Extreme changes in blood sugar, heart rate/ vasoconstriction and
bottoming out of blood pressures will result if these drugs are given
by the cavalier first-responder.
I will advocate for the use of Automatic External Defibrillators for
all laymen for the simple fact that the operator is instructed to
follow the most simple commands while the unit’s programmed micro
controller takes a detailed electrical history of the persons current
cardiac status and prompts them to act accordingly. So is the EMT’s
and Paramedic’s training “programmed” to take a detailed history and
account for the totality of the circumstances for that particular
patient.
In essence: Do no fucking harm and acknowledged your pay grade.
*Insulin usually being reserved for IV administration in the ER in
most states, last I worked.”