Ventura County Sheriff – Incident Press Release
On November 21, 2019, at about 2:40 PM, Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 5500 block of Grimes Canyon Road regarding a report of a 35-year-old male not breathing. A Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy was the first emergency personnel to arrive on scene. He determined the victim was suffering from an opioid overdose and immediately administered Naloxone (Narcan). Moments later, the victim began breathing on his own and he was subsequently transported to a local hospital for further treatment.
This was the first victim saved with the administration of Naloxone by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to other law enforcement agencies in the county, the Sheriff’s Office began deploying Naloxone kits in every patrol vehicle. The Sheriff’s Office began equipping patrol vehicles with Naloxone kits in August of 2019. Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist that binds to opioid receptors to reverse and block the effects of other opioids. The medication is administered through the nasal passages and is similar to that of a nasal spray. Naloxone only reverses the effects of opioids such as heroin, morphine, methadone, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl. It does not reverse the effects of any other drugs.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office continues to support prevention and intervention strategies to decrease the misuse of prescription pain medications as well as the abuse of heroin. The Sheriff’s Office requests that individuals promptly call 9-1-1 at the first signs someone may be overdosing or having a medical emergency. Law enforcement will not arrest individuals for being under the influence or possessing drugs who call for help or are experiencing an overdose. Naloxone kits are available to the public through Ventura County Behavioral Health. For more information and resources on the prevention and misuse of opioids, please refer to http://www.venturacountylimits.org/
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