Nasal Naloxone successfully deployed in Merthyr Tydfil

Officers successfully deployed the lifesaving spray nasal naloxone to save a Merthyr resident last month.

Nasal naloxone is an emergency antidote for overdoses caused by heroin and other opiate or opioid substances. It works by reversing the breathing difficulties that can be brought on by an overdose of these substances, to buy time for an ambulance to arrive.

Patrol officers were flagged down in Merthyr town centre after someone was reported having fallen over and consequently hitting their head and apparently suffering a seizure.

The person was drifting in and out of consciousness on police attendance but then become unresponsive whilst PC Ross Dixon was updating the ambulance on the situation. Due the possibility of recent opiate use, PC Jack Hughes administered one dose of nasal naloxone into the person’s nostril which had a positive effect, and they initially began to rouse.

However, whilst waiting for ambulance assistance, the person then deteriorated leading to PC Wayne Mitchell using a defibrillator which fortunately had been brought to scene by a member of the public and ultimately proved successful in resuscitating the injured person. The ambulance arrived a few minutes later to provide further advanced care to the person. 

Inspector Craig Bannister commented:

“I can’t praise everyone enough for their quick thinking and professionalism in dealing with this incident and I’m certain that their interventions saved the life of this vulnerable person.

“By carrying this tool, officers have access to a crucial harm reduction tool that can prevent drug related deaths and the knock-on effects that this has to families and communities.

“The person who received this dose of Naloxone has now been referred to harm reduction services for further treatment and intervention, giving her the chance to rebuild her life.”