Douglas County deputies use Narcan to save teen from overdosing
Authorities would later find out the teen was unconscious from taking oxycodone.
Authorities would later find out the teen was unconscious from taking oxycodone.
Authorities would later find out the teen was unconscious from taking oxycodone.
Three people were saved by Narcan this week. In one case, deputies used the kit for the first time to save a young man from an overdose.
The 19-year-old overdosed at home around 1 a.m. Tuesday. His family called 911 after they heard him gasping for air. When Douglas County Deputies arrived at the home near 118th and Ida streets the boy was unresponsive.
Authorities would later find out the teen was unconscious from taking oxycodone.
The Omaha Fire Department said in 2018 there has been a 19 percent increase in the use of Narcan. That number has spiked since last year.
The deputies who responded had never used Narcan before but trained within the last six months on how to administer the nasal spray.
"We didn't know what he took, we were talking over it and then the Narcan came up - he's like, 'Yeah go get it.' So I ran out to my car, I ran back with it, pulled it out of the pack and it's just a little nasal spray, put it in his nostril, pushed the plunger and waited," said Douglas County Sheriff's deputy Spence Sailors.
They waited three to five minutes before they decided to use Narcan on the teen.
"He was almost purple, he was getting to that point so time was kind of the essence," said Douglas County Sheriff's deputy Ben Valder.
Narcan can also be administered in an IV form and it takes about 10 to 15 minutes before it will start to kick in.
Every deputy and cruiser has medical kits that include Narcan.