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Portland Police to Carry Opoid Overdose Drug

Portland’s police department is the latest law enforcement agency to hand out an overdose-reversal drug to its patrol officers.

Police Chief Michael Sauschuck says he had resisted the move, but the frequency of opioid overdoses in the city makes it necessary.

“I’m not happy that our officers will be carrying this drug. I’m not happy in the sense that that means that from a societal standpoint we’re not doing enough regarding treatment and prevention and even enforcement in certain regards,” he says. “We need to do a better job of getting out there and providing options for those that suffer from a substance-use disorder disease. That has to happen.”

There are at least 10 other Maine law enforcement agencies whose personnel carry naloxone, including Bangor, Scarborough and Westbrook, as well as several sheriffs’ departments. That’s according to data compiled by the North Carolina Harm Reduction Council.

A Columbia University graduate, Fred began his journalism career as a print reporter in Vermont, then came to Maine Public in 2001 as its political reporter, as well as serving as a host for a variety of Maine Public Radio and Maine Public Television programs. Fred later went on to become news director for New England Public Radio in Western Massachusetts and worked as a freelancer for National Public Radio and a number of regional public radio stations, including WBUR in Boston and NHPR in New Hampshire.