WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) – Officials in West Lafayette will decide next week whether to allow police and firefighters administer an emergency antidote to people who have overdosed on heroin.
West Lafayette police Chief Jason Dombkowski tells the Journal & Courier (http://on.jconline.com/1Ai92hp ) a Purdue University student's February overdose sparked the effort to equip West Lafayette first responders with the drug Narcan. A new law the Indiana General Assembly adopted this year allows firefighters and police officers to carry Narcan and administer it under a sponsoring physician's medical license.
Fire Chief Tim Heath says police officers and firefighters have been trained to use Narcan. The West Lafayette Board of Public Works will vote Tuesday on whether to allow first responders to administer the drug.