In 2021, the Metro Transit Police Officers responded to 27 suspected overdoses. It increased to 43 incidents the following year. In response to this, all MTPD officers and Metro’s Intervention Specialist are now equipped with Narcan, formally known as naloxone, to help prevent possible opioid deaths.
“MTPD officers are committed to keeping our community safe, and this additional tool is already being used to potentially save lives,” Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Anzallo said. “Like all medical emergencies, time is of the essence when rendering care to those experiencing overdoses, and officers are now better equipped to quickly help those experiencing a crisis.” Â
The h3 Project, a D.C.-based organization that fights for homelessness and sexual orientation awareness in D.C., has helped train over 300 MTPD officers, where officers learned how to detect warning signs of an overdose alongside treating them with Narcan.
D.C. has an estimated 400 opioid-related deaths per year.Â
According to the CDC, “In 2020, 75% of drug overdose deaths were caused by opioids…Overdose deaths involving opioids, including prescription opioids, heroin, and synthetic opioids (like fentanyl), have increased by more than eight times since 1999. Overdoses involving opioids killed nearly 69,000 people in 2020, and over 82% of those deaths involved synthetic opioids.”
According to a press release by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, “An MTPD officer administered life-saving naloxone to revive an unresponsive person suspected of experiencing an opioid overdose on the first day they were equipped with the drug.”
Hopefully, with MTPD officers now equipped with Narcan, this will relieve the ongoing opioid crisis.