Springfield Police marking the sixth anniversary of the start of police and fire department personnel carrying Narcan, the anti-overdose medication.
The latest figures show that in the city police have administered some 617 lifesaving doses of the drug since the start of the program.
Police Superintendent Larry Akers says it marks a successful program but also points to the increased opioid crisis has presented.
Superintendent Akers stated, “Our officers have saved more than 600 lives in our community in the past six years which speaks not only to the success of the program, but also to the extent of the opioid crisis. As more heroin and other drugs become laced with the deadly opioid fentanyl, it is imperative that we continue to do our part in fighting this epidemic. When our officers administer Narcan, they want to not only save these individuals, but also help them on their path to recovery.”
In Hampden County, 231 people died from overdoses in 2023- the latest numbers available.
(Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images