By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
For Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, the drug Narcan – an opiate antagonist that can reverse a heroin overdose – is another lifesaving tool.
He got proof of that in the last few months, as the Narcan being carried by Racine County Sheriff’s deputies has saved five different people from opiate overdoses.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Schmaling said Wednesday. “I knew eventually we’d end up with a save, but I didn’t think we’d have five in such a short period of time.”
In the last two weeks, there have been three documented saves: one each in the towns of Yorkville and Raymond, and – most recently – one in the Town of Burlington.
In all three cases, according to the Sheriff’s Office, the overdose victims were unconscious and in one case the victim was not breathing. Once the Narcan was administered the victims regained consciousness and were able to talk to rescue personnel as they were being transported to hospitals.
The nasal Narcan spray is in every Racine County sheriff’s vehicle, in a special container. That is attached to a defibrillator, also located in all the squad vehicles.
Both are temperature sensitive, so they stay temperature controlled. The cost of the project is just under $1,000, and the money was donated by an addiction specialist clinic out of Milwaukee County – Managed Health Services.
Schmaling is hoping for donations – or to use drug arrest forfeiture money – to keep the program going.
“It’s worked out very nicely for us,” Schmaling said. “I’m proud of my staff, which eagerly accepted this life-saving tool in all of our squad cars.”
Narcan reverses the affect of heroin. The nasal spray can allow first responders to immediately address overdose victims, and get them breathing again.
Schmaling said he didn’t want to take credit for the program, though, saying his deputies and others involved have run with it.
“In many cases, our deputies administered that first dose of Narcan,” he said. “In many cases, our deputies worked side by side with the EMTs.”
Schmaling said the Narcan, like the defibrillator is a tool to save lives.
“It was something I felt could make a difference, and it has made a difference,” he said. “I’m hoping these addicts recognize they’ve gotten a new lease … and that they seek out the help they so desperately need.”
But while the Narcan is saving lives, the fact that the rise in heroin use essentially dictates having Narcan proves there is an epidemic.
Schmaling said the county is committed to its three-prong approach – using the Narcan to save lives, strict enforcement to get the drug off the street, and education.
Schmaling said the Racine County Sheriff’s Office Metro Drug Unit – strictly enforcement – “incredibly busy.”
But Schmaling said the education portion of the plan has gone well, and, he hopes, has started to make an impact.
“The best prevention is to never try it at all,” Schmaling explained. “This isn’t a recreation drug. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when this deadly poison will take your life.
“It wrecks communities. It destroys families,” he added. “And it leads to other crime.”
Schmaling said as a result, it is important to look beyond just the user choosing to use heroin.
“At the end of the day, it’s everyone’s problem, because it uses up a lot of community resources.”
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