Lexington PD Considers Carrying Heroin Overdose Medication

New numbers show Lexington’s heroin problem continues. 

Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn says 30 people have died from heroin-related deaths through almost 3/4 of the year.  Ginn says he thinks an additional two-more deaths are heroin-related, but he is waiting for the toxicology report.

Lexington Police are evaluating a new tool to reverse the trend.

A medication reverses heroin overdoses, and saves lives before a person gets to the hospital.  It’s called Narcan.

Ambulances and some fire trucks have carried it around for years. 

"We like to call it sort of like a miracle drug, " said Greg Hudgins, a Lexington firefighter.

Police are considering if they should have a dose of Narcan in their squad cars.

"We are starting to look at a training regimen and protocol that would enable us to place the kits in police cars should we feel it necessary in terms of a community response," said Clay Mason, Public Safety Commissioner.

Mason says they are looking into whether, or not it would be legal for police to administer the drug to a third party.

Mason says he sees no down-side to police having Narcan, if it is needed from an increase in overdoses.

The growing number of heroin-related deaths show people in Fayette County are continuing to use heroin, and one firefighter says they’ve started using Narcan a lot more in the last year.

"I can tell you they gave it three-days ago for sure, if not more than once, and I’m sure they gave it in the last two-days," said Captain Maria Roberts, Lexington Fire Department.

Emergency room physician and Lexington Fire’s Medical Director Dr. Ryan Stanton says he supports the idea of trained police administering Narcan.

A dose of Narcan costs $15, a small price to save a life, but Stanton says it’s more important to focus on improving recovery resources to get people to stop using heroin.