The article notes that the vast majority of opioid overdoses occur as a result of taking opioids inappropriately and/or mixing them with other substances. Death can occur within 45 to 90 minutes, giving a narrow period in which life-saving intervention is possible. If administered within this time period, naloxone can restore respiration within 4 to 5 minutes. In order to maximize the potential for treating overdose victims within this time period, many law enforcement agencies have trained their officers to carry and administer naloxone. The urgency of this effort is magnified by the spreading epidemic of opioid abuse in the United States. The Naloxone Toolkit described in this article is available at https://www.bjatraining.org/tools/naloxone/Naloxone-Background. The toolkit includes sample data-collection forms, standard operating procedures, law enforcement training guides, community outreach materials, and memoranda of agreement. All of these resources have been used by other law enforcement agencies and can be downloaded by agencies and customized for re-use.
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