BEAUMONT, Texas — As the fentanyl epidemic continues to sweep through Southeast Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has met the need to get more Narcan into the hands of first responders.
60,000 units of Narcan are being distributed to police departments across the state, including the Beaumont Police Department.
Narcan can be used in emergency situations to reverse narcotic overdoses.
Beaumont Police Assistant Chief Jason Plunkett told 12News the department slowly started issuing Narcan in February.
At first it was only carried by drug division officers, but now every officer will have the life-saving drug on hand.
"It's still being issued out right now. All of our front line patrol officers have it in their cars," said Plunkett. "Within the next few weeks everybody in the department will have it."
The police department has seen an increase in calls involving opioids and fentanyl, according to Plunkett.
"The majority of pills are counterfeit and the majority of those counterfeit pills contain some level of fentanyl and it takes such a small amount to kill someone," Plunkett said.
Beaumont Fire Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are also using Narcan.
"For 2023 we've already administered a 136 doses of Narcan," said Beaumont Fire EMS Quality Insurance Supervisor Stephanie Romero.
A new Texas law requires EMS workers or law enforcement agencies to track specific details on overdoses.
"Location of the overdoes, whether it was a fatal overdose and specifically if Narcan was administered are some of the main criteria," Romero said.
Romero told 12News that not only has Narcan become more easily accessible, but it's easier to administer too.
"Within the last two years we've added the ability to administer the Narcan intra nasally. Prior to that you had to have an intravenous IV," said Romero.
Chief Plunkett told 12News this is the first time that all officers will have access to a life saving drug. They will no longer have to wait for an ambulance or EMS workers to administer the drug.