Northwest Iowa — Since law enforcement officers are often the first on-scene of an opioid overdose, the Iowa Department of Public Health is making the opioid reversal drug available to any law enforcement officer in the state.
The Iowa Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse, with support from the Iowa State Sheriffs’ and Deputies’ Association and the Iowa Police Chiefs Association, is sponsoring a new initiative to provide every interested law enforcement officer in the state with one free naloxone (Narcan nasal) kit.
The health department says that not only is law enforcement often the first to the scene of a suspected opioid overdose — in some cases, the law enforcement officers themselves may be in danger because of accidental opioid exposure. Officials say that having the ability to administer naloxone without delay could be the difference between life and death.
IDPH Opioid Treatment Program Director Kevin Gabbert says that opioid overdose prevention and response is a public health issue that state health departments across the country are addressing. He says their efforts to prevent opioid-related deaths include a statewide Naloxone Standing Order that makes the medication available without a prescription; providing free naloxone kits to Iowans as part of Narcan Access Day; and training over 100 stakeholders from across the state to be trainers on recognizing and responding to an opioid overdose.
These efforts appear to be making a difference. In 2017, there were 206 opioid-involved deaths in Iowa. Preliminary data for 2018 shows that number has dropped to 137.
Any Iowa law enforcement agency may request free naloxone kits by contacting the Iowa Department of Public Health at 515-281-7689. For more information about how IDPH’s Bureau of Substance Abuse is addressing opioid misuse, they say you can visit https://www.idph.iowa.gov/mat/otp.
