Baldwin Hosts Opioid Overdose Training Program

"I think it’s going to be a great tool any time you have a tool that will save a life I think we should be using that and being proactive and getting the training for it," said Lake County Sheriff Dennis Robinson.

Officers and Deputies from Lake, Mason, and Oceana counties received training to recognize and treat heroin and other opioid overdoses.

The Grand Rapids Red Project put on the program.

"It’s not just affecting the people we normally thinking of as people who abuse drugs it’s also affecting many of our friends and family members who are prescribed opiates for perfectly legitimate medical purposes," said Steve Alsum.

The training session taught police how to use a rescue kit containing a prescription drug called Naloxone to save lives during an overdose.

"Overdose is a huge public health epidemic right now nationally and in the state of Michigan as well and locally most deaths happen because of opioids both illegal but as well as prescription opioids so things that are prescribed for chronic or acute pain," said Steve Alsum.

Law enforcement in all three counties will start carrying the kits with them.

"When you think of overdose you think of illegal drugs you don’t think of prescription meds but when you start looking at the list of prescription meds that can cause an overdose I’m surprised we haven’t done this before," said Lake County Sheriff Dennis Robinson.