Life saving drug used by South Yorkshire Police for the first time
Naloxone was used last Friday on a woman suffering a suspected overdose
Officers at South Yorkshire Police have used a life saving drug for the first time to save a woman suspected to be suffering a drug overdose.
Last month it was announced officers would carry Naloxone, a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of overdoses from opioids such as heroin and morphine, as well as synthetic opioids.
It was administered by officers for the first time on January 3, as officers were called to a woman unresponsive in Sheffield city centre.
She started to respond to police within five minutes of being given the spray.
DCI Mark Oughton, who leads on efforts to tackle drugs for South Yorkshire Police, said:
"Naloxone really is a life-saving drug and this particular incident proves just how effective it is in reversing the effects of a potentially fatal opioid overdose.
"As police officers, our overriding priority is to save and preserve lives, and Naloxone does just that.
"As shown by this incident, the administering of it buys crucial time for medical intervention by paramedics and hospital staff and had Naloxone not been given to this woman when it was, she could have fallen into cardiac arrest.
"We hope our officers and staff don't have to use Naloxone but if they encounter someone suffering from a drug overdose, having it on their person and administering it could save a person's life.”
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