FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 28, 2015 Contact: Kraig Troxell, Public Information Officer, 703-771-5278 kraig.troxell@loudoun.gov LCSO Begins Pilot Program to Equip Deputies with Nasal NARCAN Program to Help Prevent Opiate Overdose Deaths in Loudoun County Loudoun County, VA- The Loudoun Sheriff’s Office announced a new pilot program to help prevent opiate drug overdose deaths in the county. Thirty-one Loudoun Sheriff’s Deputies have been trained by members of the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue System, under the authority of Dr. John Morgan, Operational Medical Director for Loudoun County’s Combined Fire and Rescue System, to use Nasal NARCAN. Nasal NARCAN is a nasal form of the drug naloxone that can reverse the effects of opiates such as heroin, oxycodone and hydrocodone. “Nasal NARCAN provides our deputies with a life-saving tool that may be the difference when seconds count at the scene of a potential fatal opiate overdose,” said Loudoun Sheriff Mike Chapman. The pilot program will be initiated in the Western Loudoun Station. This area was selected to begin the pilot program due to the rural population and extensive square mileage, which can impact overall response times by emergency responders. In some cases, deputies may be the first to arrive on the scene of a potential overdose. Law enforcement agencies across the country have begun equipping their personnel with NARCAN in response to an increase in opiate overdoses nationwide. Fatal overdoses of heroin have nearly tripled nationwide since 2010. In Loudoun County, the number of fatal heroin overdoses increased significantly between 2013 and 2014, however, collective efforts in Loudoun County for this year have resulted in a decline of fatal overdoses by 30%. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue System personnel have been carrying NARCAN for many years and use the drug when necessary to reverse the effects of a person experiencing an opiate overdose. The pilot program is part of the comprehensive approach of the Heroin Operations Team (HOT) initiative announced by Sheriff Chapman and U.S. Representative Barbara Comstock (VA-10th District) in April 2015. The initiative includes a proactive approach of enforcement (at all levels), education and prevention by incorporating local, state and federal law enforcement, Loudoun County Public Schools, Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Developmental Services and other entities within the Community Services Board. ###