PORT ANGELES – Starting in 2019, thanks to a partnership with the Clallam County Health Department, all Clallam County Sheriff’s Deputies will begin carrying the opiate overdose antidote naloxone, also known as Narcan.

The Sheriff’s Department now joins most of the local police departments, who already carry the drug and have saved numerous lives since starting their programs. Usually administered as an injection or nasal spray, it can reverse a heroin overdose almost instantly. Clallam County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry Unthank says the key to the drug’s effectiveness is timing.

 And it isn’t just law enforcement and doctors who can carry naloxone. Almost anyone can get it and keep it around in case of emergencies.

If you or someone you know is at risk of an overdose and you’d like more information about preventing overdoses, treatment is available at no cost. Contact the Clallam County Health Department for more information.