Troopers to the rescue with Narcan

The issue: The opioid scourge has scarred every community in our readership and those across the nation, exempting no segment of society. Since 2012, when drug overdose deaths in Connecticut totaled 357, the grim toll in 2017 alone was 1,038, according to the state’s Chief Medical Examiner.

While federal funds keep coming into Connecticut — some $31 million as of last month — the fight is still uphill.

Prescription opioids include common painkillers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. And if an adult parent has a problem, that might explain the growing number of 1- to 4-year-olds who have been hospitalized as a result of opioid ingestion.

What we wrote: “The epidemic — opioids kill more Americans than guns or automobiles — is nationwide and has drawn attention from, thankfully, Donald Trump’s White House down on through states, cities and towns.

A bit of good news is that first responders in the state have been equipped with — and trained in the administration of — naloxone, a drug that can counteract the effects of an overdose. Connecticut State

Police, for instance, say they have saved more than 180 people as a result of timely intervention with the antidote.

That obviously is not the solution to this problem. Fortunately, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is a public official who not only recognizes the severity of the problem, but has acted.

On Thursday, he signed into law several measures intended to strengthen the state’s position in fighting the problem.” Editorial, Sept. 1, 2017

The use of naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, is, as mentioned, not a solution to the problem.

It is, however, a life-saver for the individuals fortunate enough to come under swift treatment by a trained first responder.

The drug can be administered by either injection into a muscle or as a nasal spray.

Since the drug — categorized technically as an “opioid antagonist” — first appeared in 2014, an increasing number of first responders have been trained in its use.

What’s new: Malloy announced last week that the Connecticut State Police have saved the lives of 268 people since the training started here in 2014. Before then, state law allowed only licensed health care practitioners to administer the medication without fear of being held civilly or criminally liable.

In 2014, Malloy signed legislation that eliminated that restriction, clearing the way for this potent, life-saving capacity in the hands of state police, who are required to take the training, and other first responders. Troopers are equipped with the spray form of the drug. Malloy is entitled to tout the contribution of the state police.

The key to the solution, though, remains a combination of education — particularly for youngsters — about the danger of opioids, availability of treatment, enforcement of laws and physicians being mindful of pain treatment options to the prescription of opioids.

There’s room for learning all around.

And if an adult parent has a problem, that might explain the growing number of 1- to 4-year-olds who have been hospitalized as a result of opioid ingestion.