BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Monroe County sheriff told deputies Tuesday morning to keep the drug responsible for reviving opioid overdose victims to themselves because their supply was low. By the afternoon, the sheriff's office received 100 naloxone kits and resumed use of the medication when responding to overdose calls.
Sheriff Brad Swain wanted naloxone to be kept for deputies or other public safety officers who may be having a medical crisis due to exposure to fentanyl, which is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and can get into the body just through contact with the skin.
Sheriff Swain said Tuesday morning that the sheriff's office only had about one naloxone kit per deputy.
"The Monroe County Sheriff's Office will continue to find sources to replenish the remaining kits, but in the interim its priority is to protect against potential loss of life of deputies and other public safety professionals," said Swain.
The sheriff said he'd been in contact with other organizations to try and get more naloxone. A source that had a supply on hand for immediate delivery provided 100 units of naloxone Tuesday afternoon.
Back in May, an Ohio police officer accidentally touched and overdosed on fentanyl seized during an arrest. It took four doses of Narcan, a type of naloxone that is sprayed into the nose, to revive him.
And just last week, the sheriff of Butler County, Ohio said he has no intention of having his deputies use Narcan to help people who have overdosed.
Sheriff Richard Jones said he is concerned about the dangers first responders face around needles and dealing with people who are sometimes upset after being revived with Narcan, which blocks the effects of opioids.
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