As part of a pilot program, authorities in Ocean County are carrying and using the drug Narcan to treat heroin overdoses, and the effort is paying off.

Narcan Kit
Narcan Kit (Ilya Hemlin,Townsquare Media NJ)
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On Tuesday, Seaside Heights Patrolman Erik Hershey responded to the Desert Palm Inn in Seaside Park and administered Narcan nasal spray to a female overdose victim who responded to the drug and regained consciousness.  The woman was then transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River where she is now recovering.

“Once again a victim of heroin has been given a chance to choose a path away from addiction, and loved ones have been spared the grief of a loved one’s death,” said Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato in a press release issued Tuesday.

He pointed out so far this year there have been 25 overdose deaths, compared to 40 over the same period in 2013.

“We’re not ready to claim success,” he noted, “but the downward trend is something we pray can be sustained into the future,” Coronato said in the press release.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office helped to develop the program at the beginning of this year, and will assist other counties across the Garden state in starting their own Narcan programs.

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