NJ Police May Carry Chemical to Counteract Drugs

Police in four New Jersey counties may start carrying canisters of an aerosol that counteracts the effects of heroin and other opioid drugs.

The Star-Ledger (http://bit.ly/1hJ0rXj ) reports that police departments in Camden, Cape May, Hunterdon and Ocean Counties are considering giving officers Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, to administer to people suffering from overdoses.

They say it can buy time to get victims to hospitals and could prevent the number of deadly overdoses. Those who are given the chemical would still need further medical attention.

Until earlier this year, the chemical was illegal for anyone in New Jersey except hospital staff.

But under a state law aimed at protecting those who help overdose victims, it is now legal.

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