Heroin use has prompted a statewide response. Photo: DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images
Boston University Police will be the first campus force in the country to carry opiate overdose antidote Naloxone, more commonly known as Narcan.
The school tells WBURcampus police have responded to about a dozen opiate overdoses since February, although none of the overdoses were BU students.
The news comes as the Massachusetts is in the grips of a opiate epidemic. Last June, Gov. Deval Patrick declared opiate addiction in the state to be a public health emergency.
At the time, Patrick’s administration said they were prepared to spend $20 million to combat the problem. That funding included plans for new residential treatment programs and treatment for inmates.
While Narcan can be administered intravenously, BU Today reports the school’s police will administer the drug through a nasal spray.
