Narcan Used to Save Second DuPage Co. Life in Past Week

For the second time this past week, local authorities used Narcan to save the life of an individual overdosing on heroin.

Two Hanover Park police officers responded to a sick person call around 9 p.m. Wednesday. The two officers that arrived on the scene had received training through the DuPage Narcan Program and were carrying Narcan, which they used to reverse a victim's overdose, saving the life of the 29 year old male, according to a DuPage County Health Department news release. 

Only days earlier, a DuPage County Sheriff's Office deputy used Narcan to save a 32-year-old Villa Park woman who was overdosing on heroin at about 1:20 a.m. on March 22. 

• READ MORE: Deputy Uses Narcan to Save Woman's Life 

“The fact that our department just completed the DNP training a week ago and already put this life-saving training to use to save a life is amazing” said Hanover Park Police Chief David Webb in the news release. “There is no question that this program will continue to save lives and benefit the community." 

The DNP was created in response to DuPage County’s growing heroin epidemic, with the purpose of saving lives from overdoses, according to the health department. 

Since November, DuPage County law enforcement personnel have been attending training sessions through the DNP program to learn how to recognize people who are overdosing and how to administer Narcan, a non-addictive drug which can reverse a potentially fatal overdose, according to health officials. 

By May, there will be more than 1,200 officers in DuPage County trained and armed with Narcan.