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Tuesday, June 06, 2017

Opioid crisis: Lethal drugs threaten lives of first responders; police make changes

WASHINGTON — The number of calls to police for opioid overdoses, and the threat those cases pose to responding officers, are inspiring several departments across the D.C. region to change how they do their jobs.
 

The synthetic opioid fentanyl, and the even stronger carfentanil, have taken lives and threatened officers responding to overdose calls far too frequently, said Capt. Paul Liquorie, with the Montgomery County police.

“We had an officer who was transporting some fentanyl back to be logged into evidence. … While he was en route to the station he started getting symptomatic and had to be transported by EMS. It’s in these kinds of things that you have to be more careful,” he said.

It’s a threat to officers nationwide, typified by the recent case in Ohio where an officer suffered an accidental overdose by wiping powder off his uniform.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

THE biggest drug crisis since the advent of crack.
They better get a hold on opioid use, or we'll be heading down a very serious path to crime - along with many deaths.
This abuse has moved outside of the ghetto. It's in the middle-class (and upper class!) America.
THAT is trouble.

Anonymous said...

It is time to reign in the Military and CIA who are importing heroin into this Country.
It is an outrage, and time for the Politicians to address the issue head on.