The sheriff of Butler County, Ohio, recently said his deputies will never carry the overdose antidote naloxone, according to The Washington Post.
Sheriff Richard Jones' comments set him apart from his peers, as police administrators in areas wracked by the opioid epidemic, like southwest Ohio, commonly equip their officers with the lifesaving medication, know by the brand name Narcan.
"We don't do the shots for bee stings, we don't inject diabetic people with insulin. When does it stop?" Mr. Jones told the Post. "I'm not the one that decides if people live or die. They decide that when they stick that needle in their arm."
Administering naloxone could put his officers in harm's way as individuals overdosing on opioids can become combative after being revived, according to Mr. Jones. He said he favors placing an added emphasis on prevention strategies to keep people from using opioids in the first place.
Other law enforcement agencies and harm reduction advocates have scrutinized the sheriff's comments.
Kelly Firesheets works with the Cincinnati-based nonprofit organization Interact for Health to tackle opioid abuse in the region. She believes officers should carry naloxone to protect themselves from exposure to synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanil, which can be deadly when inadvertently inhaled, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
More than 4,000 Ohioans died from drug overdoses in 2016, according to a survey of coroner's offices conducted by The Columbus Dispatch.
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