In the next few months law enforcement officers and other first responders in Illinois will begin carrying an antidote to stop heroin overdoses. The antidote is known as Naloxone, and it works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain.
A law was passed in September 2015 to address heroin overdose prevention, which once in effect requires the possession of Naloxone by law enforcement agencies. A training program for the antidote is expected to be approved and implemented this spring.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has been working with local EMS and System Medical Directors across the state to amend administrative rules to accommodate the law.
Naloxone has started to become more commonly available in pharmacies and other stores as well.