Local Law Enforcement Attacking Heroin Crisis & Saving Lives

RACINE -- The Racine County Sheriff's Department has a new tool in its arsenal of lifesaving equipment, and this week, deputies got the chance to use it.

On July 21 when first responders were called to a house in the town of Norway, it looked very bleak. A 32-year-old victim of an apparent heroin overdose was found unconscious and not breathing. Three doses of the nasal mist, Narcan, changed a very dire situation to one with a much better outcome.

The department recently received grant money to purchase Narcan and train its personnel on how this drug can prevent overdose deaths from harmful narcotics, like heroin. The sheriff says each squad car has the solution readily available in case it's needed.

I'm told the Racine County Sheriff's Department is the first law enforcement agency in the Wisconsin to use Narcan. It's also used in the county jail. Currently, the victim is in stable condition. The name of the patient is being withheld at this time pending a more detailed investigation.