Mazzeo Applauds Prosecutor Tyner's Directive on Law Enforcement Carrying Naloxone

Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo (D-Atlantic) released the following statement following the public announcement that Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner has issued a directive that all law enforcement officers in the county carry Narcan, the life-saving anti-overdose drug that has saved thousands of lives in New Jersey.

"I'm grateful for Prosecutor Tyner's forward thinking approach to combating the massive heroin and opioid epidemic plaguing our community. By equipping all law enforcement across the county with Narcan we will save countless lives. We all know however that this is just one step in the overall fight against addiction. In the Assembly, I will continue to work to strengthen our prescription monitoring program, end the stigma surrounding addiction, and increase recovery and rehabilitation options. There is much work to be done, and I'm glad that we have a thoughtful and capable leader in Damon Tyner leading the charge in our prosecutor's office."

Assemblyman Mazzeo also commended the AtlantiCare Foundation for their $10,000 donation to the ACPO initiative which is helping to fund the purchase of Naloxone for officers across the county. He said, "I'm glad to see AtlantiCare once again stepping up to save lives. Their support and the support of local hospitals have been instrumental in making sure those suffering from addiction get the care they need."

Late last year Assemblyman Mazzeo wrote to the Acting Prosecutor asking her to issue the same directive. At the time The Press of Atlantic City endorsed Assemblyman Mazzeo's effort saying that "State statistics show naloxone was administered 718 times between January 2015 and this June, with law enforcement giving 84 of the doses. Those stats on lives saved show the value of equipping both EMS personnel and officers." [ACPress Editorial, 12/26/2016]