Princeton Police Use Narcan on Heroin Overdose Victim

princetonpolice_2A 22-year-old woman overdosed on heroin just after 11 a.m. today on a bench on the 100 block of Nassau Street.

Someone called 911, and police responded and found the woman unresponsive. Patrol Sgt. Geoff Maurer and Patrolman Lucas Schwab administered nasal Narcan and revived the woman. The Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad and paramedics responded to the scene and transported the victim to the University Medical Center at Plainsboro for further medical treatment.

This is the police department’s first time using Narcan. The nasal Narcan kits were provided to the police department by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. Police carry a Narcan kit in every patrol vehicle.

“This initiative, brought to us through the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, is saving lives all over the county and state,” Princeton Police Chief Nick Sutter said. “The training our officers received and the Narcan given to us were the reason this young person’s life was saved today.”

Sutter said heroin usage has become an epidemic. Under New Jersey law, people who seek help for themselves or someone else because an overdose are not prosecuted.

“It’s no longer just a law enforcement issue. It is  a public health issue,” he said. “Today was a perfect example of how we can assist in the public health realm.”

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