MENU
ILLINOIS CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION AUTHORITY
ICJIA  »  ICJIA Overview Overview
Dec 16, 2019
The Administration of Naloxone by Law Enforcement Officers: A Statewide Survey of Police Chiefs in Illinois
The number of opioid overdose deaths has risen significantly in the United States since 2009. Naloxone is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdose. Public support for equipping law enforcement officers (LEOs) with naloxone has increased in the past decade. The purpose of the current study was to explore the implementation of naloxone by LEOs in Illinois, where deaths from opioid overdoses increased 54% from 2014 to 2017 (Illinois Department of Public Health, 2019). In a statewide random sample of law enforcement agencies, the current research examined the nature and extent of naloxone implementation; naloxone adoption and training; and perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes toward naloxone administration. Nearly all police chiefs reported LEOs in their departments were trained to administer naloxone, and an overwhelming majority of police chiefs reported that their LEOs carry naloxone. Half of the police chiefs reported that to some extent LEOs have voiced discomfort concerning the administration of naloxone. More than three-fourths of the police chiefs reported that to some extent LEOs believed that naloxone had the potential to promote opioid misuse. The involvement of LEOs in opioid overdose reversals can further help protect the public, improve police–civilian relationships, and enhance the quality of life in communities.
Individual publications, as well as old meeting agendas, minutes, and materials, are always available for download from the ICJIA Document Archive: https://archive.icjia.cloud