VIDEO: Amid Opioid Crisis, Counties Try to Get Narcan’s in Officers’ Hands

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- President Trump announced earlier today that he plans to officially designate the opioid crisis as a national emergency.

Meanwhile, area counties are trying to equip its first responders with drugs to counteract opioid overdoses, called Narcans.

“EMT’s here at OCH have been carrying the IV form of Narcan for many years. Now, they’re trying to help other first responders carry it as well,” says EMS Manager Michael Hunt.

Unfortunately, the nasal spray that saves lives, has a steep price.

“The cost is very expensive, it’s about $90 for a vile for an inhalent and you know when you start trying to give 200 people that, it gets very expensive,” says Hunt.

Hunt says it’s surely an epidemic and has his EMT’s administering the drug more often than ever.

“Once a week, once every two weeks, so we’ve always used it, we just want to get this medication on board with the people that would be there first,” says Hunt.

Those people being, law enforcement, and to get 100 units in the field it will cost $9,000. That puts responders on the hunt for help to cover that cost.

“Hopefully, they’ll be some grants to follow, especially out in the county where we have a longer response time, to get this medication on board, it could save someones life,” says Hunt.

Grants that Mississippi State would like to assist in.

The university is hoping to help the county and city qualify for grants to help with funding.

“We are very interested in collaborating with our campus partners and with other organizations in the community and so there are potential efforts out there and we’re definitely willing to collaborate and work towards the greater good,” says Assistant Director of Health Relations at MSU.

Trump’s declaration opens up more resources to combat the opioid crisis and could possibly open doors for more state funding.