COVINGTON, Ga. — The Covington Lions Club recently partnered with the Newton County Health Department's Tom Branch to provide Narcan to Covington Police Officers to carry with them while on duty in case they ever encountered someone who had overdosed or the officer themselves were ever exposed to opioids. 

The Health Department initially provided 16 Narcan kits which contain two nasal spray doses each to the Covington Police Department. The Covington Lions Club then donated to the Covington Police Who Care in the amount of $1,800 which was used by the Police Department to purchase 24 additional kits, which in all would supply every officer with a Narcan unit. 

The Lions Club also made an additional contribution other than the $1,800 for the Narcan purchase to The Police Who Care. We are grateful for our community partners like the Covington Lions Club who give back to their community in so many ways and especially for the support that they give to the Covington Police Department. 

Narcan Nasal Spray is an intranasal form of naloxone. It's used to treat someone who has overdosed on opioids (codeine, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, and hydromorphone). Narcan Nasal Spray can be used by anyone to reverse the effects of the overdose until medical help arrives. 

Opioid drugs work by acting on specific receptors found in the brain and nervous system. When these drugs attach to those receptors, they reduce the amount of pain felt. Taking too many opioids can lead to an overdose and that can stop someone from breathing. The person may also experience other symptoms. 

Narcan Nasal Spray stops the opioids from being attached to the receptors, and this reverses the effects and symptoms of the overdose almost immediately. 

Each officer is required to complete the state approved training before being issued the Narcan and must also complete bi-annual training. Since Covington Police is an accredited agency, a standard operating procedure policy had to be written and implemented before issuing out the Narcan.