Community Overdose Prevention program to equip MTA police with heroin antidotes

MTA police will soon carry antidotes to treat heroin overdoses in emergencies.  New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the Community Overdose Prevention program, or COP, which will provide

News 12 Staff

May 14, 2014, 1:22 AM

Updated 3,800 days ago

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MTA police will soon carry antidotes to treat heroin overdoses in emergencies. 
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the Community Overdose Prevention program, or COP, which will provide $40,000 to equip and train hundreds of officers with Naloxone kits. 
Schneiderman says that heroin use is on the rise in New York City and Naloxone is an effective way to revive someone who has overdosed. 
The program involves MTA officers who patrol the Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road and the Staten Island Railway. The subway system is monitored mostly by the NYPD, but police agencies can also apply to get kits for its members. 
Schneiderman says about 700 kits will be available immediately for MTA officers. All of the officers will also undergo a 30-minute training on how to administer the kits.