Falls Twp. Police Department Receives Donation Of Narcan Auto-Injectors

The Falls Township Police Department has received a donation of EVZIO injectors, an FDA-approved auto-injector for the opioid overdose reversing drug naloxone, more commonly known as narcan.

“The rising number of overdose deaths from opioid-based prescription drugs and heroin is one of the top concerns for our community,” said William Wilcox, Chief of the Falls Township Police Department. “This product delivers a potentially life-saving dose of naloxone via a simple to use auto-injector system that is easy to carry and administer to someone experiencing an opioid overdose.”

According to the press release, the EVZIO device uses both voice and visual cues to assist the user through the administering process. The device then delivers one pre-filled, single-use dose of the drug.

The drug, which was acquired by the department in February 2015, has come in handy in an area inundated with heroin addiction. Township officials noted that the department responded to 71 overdose calls last year, only six of which ended in a fatality. Officer have already administered the drug 11 times this year.

Unintended drug poisoning has now surpassed automobile collisions as the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., killing 29,000 Americans in 2014.

“With this donation, we will have an opportunity to make a real difference in the fight against opioid overdose deaths,” said Chief Wilcox.

Last month, state officials thanked local police for saving dozens of Pennsylvania residents by using narcan. More than 600 overdoses were reversed in one year.

Virginia-based pharmaceutical company kaléo made the donation to the township.