Midland Police Officers are joining the fight against the nation’s opioid epidemic.
Partnering with the Special Medical Operations division of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), and the TTUHSC Department of Family and Community Medicine in the Permian Basin, Midland Police Department officers will begin carrying Naloxone, which is more commonly known as Narcan, its brand name. The drug can reverse the effects of an overdose in seconds.
The Patrol division will be the first ones issued with the Narcan due to higher likelihood of overdose-related encounters these officers face.
The Narcan units are expected to help prevent deaths from opioid overdoses and reverse the effects of those who receive accidental contact with drugs such as fentanyl and carfentanil that can cause death from even the smallest amounts. Training the Midland officers on the pharmacology of both opioids and the antidote is being conducted by Jason Cooper, a physician assistant with Texas Tech Special Medical Operations. Cooper also serves as the Midland Police Department’s medical resource specialist.
“With the rise of deaths associated with the use of fentanyl and carfentanil, it is important to have this antidote available to the officers who are often the first to arrive on scene of an overdose,” said Cooper.
“The Midland Police Department is part of a concerted, collaborative effort to combat the opioid crisis, which has a far-reaching impact,” said Interim Police Chief Seth Herman. “Safety for our officers 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 community.”
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Media Contact: Elana Ladd, (432) 685-7593