Pasco deputies share warning after using Narcan on man overdosing on fentanyl
HUDSON, Fla. - Body camera footage released by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office shows "what addiction can look like," officials said.
One deputy responded to a wooded area off of Hicks Road on Saturday around 1 p.m. after receiving a report of an overdose. In the video, the deputy entered the wooded area, in search of the individual in need.
"Sheriff’s office!" the deputy yells. "Where you at?"
The deputy finds a small clearing in the woods where the man was laying down, partially inside a tent. Another person with the man helped the deputy pull him out and said she believes he was using fentanyl.
Overdose intervention teams see worst of drugs and pandemic
In Florida, preliminary data from the CDC shows the death toll was up about 37% from 2019. The alarming trend is being driven by an increase of the synthetic opioid fentanyl on the streets, and the coronavirus pandemic's impact on substance abuse and addiction. Not everyone received the support they needed.
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The deputy used Narcan and sternum rubs to help the man regain consciousness. Then, after several minutes, the individual walked to a stretcher with the help of first responders.
One of those first responders is heard saying, "You know your drug dealers are trying to kill you, right?"
The sheriff’s office shared the body camera footage on Facebook.
"We share these videos to show the impact of substance abuse in our community. We are proud of the quick actions that saved this individual’s life," the post read in part.
The agency provided a link to its website offering mental health and substance abuse resources.