A Michigan sheriff is emphasizing the importance of easily-accessible Narcan, a life-saving drug that reverses opioid overdoses, after his deputy was exposed to fentanyl at the county jail.
Genesee County Deputy Forrest Bradley and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson joined "Fox & Friends First" to discuss the harrowing incident and how Bradley helped save his own life by administering the drug.
"It's a real, real problem here, and that Narcan that we have is everybody's possession," Swanson told co-host Carley Shimkus. "So we make sure that we have it exposed and that when we have things like this, we can do it so quick and save lives."
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Bradley was exposed to the deadly drug after an inmate snuck it into the county jail. He recalled his body going numb and he experienced difficulty breathing. Video from the jail shows Bradley collapsing to his knees during the incident.
Because of his training, Bradley knew how to administer Narcan. He received several doses and ultimately helped other police officers save his own life.
"I remember someone looking at me, and I can't remember exactly who it was, but them telling me, 'but I don't know what to do,'" Bradley said. "You have to talk us through this, and I remember telling them that I must have gotten exposed by covering myself in it or breathing it in or touching it. So I told them, just wash me off, get me oxygen."
Swanson noted the county has saved almost 1,000 lives through Narcan administrations as overdoses surge nationwide. He urged anyone who works with the "public" to have access to the life-saving drug.
"You should never pay for Narcan," Swanson continued. "You can get it anywhere. It's so easy to administer. Narcan needs to be as easy to access as smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. They save lives."
Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 18 and 45, with around 250 overdose deaths occurring on any given day.
