New Castle – New Castle County Police were able to successfully utilize Naloxone Nasal Spray to save a 24-year-old man suffering from an apparent heroin overdose in the parking lot of the Airport Road WaWa in New Castle, according to New Castle County Police Spokesman John-Paul Piser.
Phiser said early this morning at around 1:20 a.m., Officer First Class Megan McCole of the Patrol Division’s “D-Squad” was at the WaWa located on Airport Road when she observed a man who appeared to be asleep in the driver’s seat of a vehicle with the windows down. She walked to the man’s vehicle to check on him and found that he was profusely sweating and was having trouble breathing. She attempted to wake the man, but he was unresponsive.
OFC McCole immediately recognized the man was suffering a heroin overdose. She retrieved her departmentally issued Naloxone Nasal Spray and administered a dose to the man. She observed that his breathing became more frequent, but he was still unresponsive so she administered a second dose. The man became more responsive, at which time New Castle County Paramedics arrived on scene and continued the man’s care. The man’s condition continued to improve and he was transported to an area hospital for further evaluation, where he was later described as conscious and alert.
This is the 36th time Naloxone was used to save a life since the New Castle County Police began carrying Naloxone 17 months ago, said Phiser.
New Castle County Police reminds the public of the newly implemented Hero Help initiative. Hero Help is a collaboration of the Division of Police, Delaware Department of Justice and state Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health to provide drug and/or alcohol addiction treatment to qualifying adults who contact police and ask for treatment. Individuals can come to the Corporal Paul J. Sweeney Public Safety Building at 3601 N. DuPont Highway New Castle, Del. 19720 to request further information and inquire if they are eligible. Citizens can also call (302)395-8050.
To be eligible for the program, you must be a Delaware resident 18-years-old or older, have no violent convictions, and voluntarily enroll in the program. Please refer to the below Hero Help pamphlet for further information.
