Boston University Police Department Will Carry Heroin Overdose Drug
The Boston University Police Department is believed to be the first campus police department to carry and administer Naloxone, otherwise known as Narcan, an antidote for heroin overdose, according to BU Today.
The BU Police Department, according to WBUR, has responded 12 heroin overdoses on campus since February.
None of those incidents involved anyone affiliated with BU, according to both the WBUR and BU Today reports.
BU Today reported how the drug works:
“Officers will use a nasal spray to administer the drug, which works by attaching to the brain’s opioid receptors, elbowing aside other drugs there.’’
This decision comes after Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency on opiate abuse in March.
In Somerville, a conflict continues over mandatory training for police officers in the use of Narcan.
The Boston Globe reported:
“The Somerville Police Employees Association, which lodged the complaint in June and represents all city police employees except superior officers, argues the order to carry and administer the drug, Narcan, violates the union’s bargaining rights. The union’s contract with the city expired two years ago.’’
The Somerville police department will continue to carry the drug until a decision is made, according to The Globe.
WBUR reported that the all 52 members of the BUPD received the training to administer the drug.
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