A northwest Ohio sheriff hoping to save more heroin users has floated the idea of giving opioid addicts an anti-overdose drug when they leave jail and train them how to use it.
The program suggested by Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp calls for people who are still in detox to leave jail with a kit containing naloxone that reverses overdoses. Jail employees would also offer additional training on using the medication.
Tharp told The Blade newspaper that jail inmates may not be ready to quit drugs. He said alternatives that keep them alive are necessary.
The Toledo-Lucas County health commissioner raised concerns that an incapacitated user can't administer naloxone without a trained acquaintance nearby.
Tharp said the office intends to teach others how to use the medication.