Clinton PD Armed With Valuable Life Saving Leave Behind Kits

Last year during my late wife's illness there was a period where she was on some pretty heavy duty prescriptions. I was taken aback when picking up her meds when the pharmacist asked if I wanted Narcan. He explained that the combination of prescriptions my wife was taking if followed, was very safe, but that there was a possible risk of an overdose and they routinely offered patients the option of Narcan if they wanted it just to be safe. Aside from putting an exclamation point on the fact that my wife was a very ill woman, I thought it was an interesting offer in case the unthinkable happened.

So I wanted to share something the Clinton Missouri Police Department wrote on their Facebook page a few days ago. Clinton's police officers have been carrying Narcan in their cruisers. When responding to a call or finding someone overdosing, they can administer Narcan and save the person's life before medical help arrives.

To that end, Clinton officers also carry "Leave Behind Kits" in their cruisers. These are kits containing Narcan that officers can leave behind at a residence where an overdose has occurred. Maybe a family member's or friend's home where an addicted person known to police may frequent. The idea once again is to have this life-saving drug available so that a person's loved one can potentially save their life before first responders show up to render aid, and hopefully get the person the longer care they need to kick their addiction.

Clinton Police say they don't have enough kits to give to every citizen who may want it in their home first aid kit, they just have enough to leave them where most needed.

However, they advise that Narcan is available in Missouri to most residents. They suggest that those folks who would like to add Narcan to their first-aid supplies, check out the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website which has a page dedicated to overdose prevention and response, including information on overdose education and naloxone (Narcan) administration training. They also suggest visiting No Mo Deaths, which provides information on where Missouri residents can find free naloxone, as well as options to treat Opioid addiction and support services for those in recovery.