PURCELLVILLE, Va. MARCH 28, 2018— The Purcellville Police Department is pleased to announce that the Purcellville Police Officers have been trained and are now carrying Naloxone - sometimes referred to by the brand name Narcan. Naloxone is in the form of a nasal spray and is the first and only FDA-approved nasal form of naloxone for the emergency treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose. Naloxone is a life-saving medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. It has been used by emergency medical professionals for decades and has been credited with saving the lives of more than 26,000 people nationwide since 1990. Naloxane can reverse the overdose effects and restore respiration within 2-5 minutes. Studies have shown that police officers are often the first on-scene responders in a 911 call situation.
Opioid overdoses have reached epidemic proportions in the United States. In fact, opioid overdoes kill more Virginians than motor vehicle crashes.
The Purcellville Police Department obtained funding through the United States Department of Justice (Byrne Justice Grant) to pay for the Naloxone.
