A sheriff in an Ohio county with record numbers of drug deaths in recent years is sticking to his longstanding refusal to allow deputies to carry an overdose antidote. Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones remains opposed for safety reasons because, he asserts, people can become hostile and violent after being revived with naloxone, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and is often referred to by the brand name Narcan. Deputies in neighboring counties in southwest Ohio do carry it. County emergency crews administer naloxone, and the Butler County Health Department has been offering free kits to relatives and friends of people with addiction. Butler County, near Cincinnati, had a record 192 drug overdose deaths last year.

Source: ABC News July 07, 2017 13:35 UTC