According to data from National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 128 people in the United Stated died every day from an opioid overdose in 2018 [1], and those numbers are on the rise.  Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an uptick of overdose cases, with numbers being at an all-time high since 2017.  In addition, the response to COVID-19 mandated a Statewide shut-down and isolation, causing many in the recovery community to revert to substance use, which has resulted in overdose death [2].

Fatal opioid overdose is an ongoing public health crisis that can be solved by the timely administration of the opioid antagonist, Naloxone [3].  Naloxone is a medication that was designed to reverse an opioid overdose and has the ability to quickly restore normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed down or stopped as a result of an overdose to heroin, fentanyl, or prescribed opiate pain medications [4].  Although this life saving medication has been used by paramedics for decades, law enforcement officers are often the first to arrive to the scene of an overdose, yet they are typically not equipped with naloxone, causing lives to be put at risk while waiting for the paramedics to arrive [5].

We, the citizens of New Albany, Indiana, petition the City of New Albany and Floyd County officials to mandate all law enforcement officers to carry the opioid overdose reversal medication, Naloxone in efforts to save valuable lives.