Naloxone pilot saves man's life in Cleveland
Officers from Cleveland Police have saved the life of a man by administering Naloxone just two weeks after the launch of a pilot scheme that sees frontline officers carrying the emergency antidote treatment.
A man who was being detained became unresponsive and officers suspected an opiate overdose. He was given Naloxone by a trained police officer who was then able to rouse the man before he was taken to hospital. The man is now fit and well.
Cleveland Police is the first force in the North East to pilot the use of Naloxone on this scale with the front line, having previously used it in the custody environment.
Around 150 officers, including police community support officers in Middlesbrough will eventually carry the intra-nasal spray after receiving training and education.
The six-month pilot will be focused on the Middlesbrough area before a decision is made on whether to extend it across the whole of Cleveland.
Detective Chief Inspector Jon Tapper said: “It’s a real positive step forward that we have officers and staff trained in Naloxone and to have saved a life in the first two weeks of the pilot launch is incredible.
“We are working closely with partner agencies under the banner of Project ADDER to reduce drug related deaths and support those at risk of drug overdoses, whilst dismantling organised crime networks that flood our area with illegal substances.
“It has taken over months of meticulous planning to get to this stage of pilot, and we have ensured the support of staff associations and public health agencies.”
