Roswell OKs Narcan anti-opioid drug for cops

Naloxone or Narcan, a medication that reverses opiate overdoses, will be carried by Roswell police officers, the City Council has decided. CHANNEL 2 ACTION NEWS

Naloxone or Narcan, a medication that reverses opiate overdoses, will be carried by Roswell police officers, the City Council has decided. CHANNEL 2 ACTION NEWS

Equipping sworn Roswell police officers with a medication to reverse opiate overdoses, and seeking federal funding for officers’ bulletproof vests, have been approved by the City Council.

The council approved spending $15,000 for Naloxone – a substance with the trade name Narcan – and having the Roswell Fire Department provide training and serve as the “pharmacy” for police. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners has approved partial initial funding for the purchase, according to a staff memo to the council.

“Due to the relative short shelf-life (of Naloxone), there will be a recurring annual expense to replace dosages up to $15,000,” staff said. Money for the purchase will come from the Confiscated Asset Fund.

Separately, the council approved seeking an $11,400 Bulletproof Vest Partnership grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The grant will require a 50 percent city match, for a total expenditure of $22,800, staff said.