The federal government is sending law enforcement teams to cities in five states including North Carolina to help stop the flow of heroin and synthetic opioids.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said Friday the teams will enhance the agency’s ability to combat problems surrounding heroin, fentanyl and drug trafficking violence.

The DEA is sending teams to Raleigh, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Long Island, New York, New Bedford, Massachusetts; and Charleston, West Virginia.

The agency considered fatal overdose rates, levels of heroin and fentanyl seizures, and where extra resources would have the greatest impact in selecting cities.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in August that he was dispatching 12 federal prosecutors to cities ravaged by addiction.

Those prosecutors will focus exclusively on investigating health care fraud and opioid scams.

Locally, Moore County Sheriff’s Office recently received training on Narcan and starting carrying the life-saving prescription medicine.

Moore County Sheriff’s deputies received training on Narcan from Scot Brooks, the Deputy Director of EMS Public Safety. The training included overdose signs, symptoms, the legal aspects of administering the life-saving drug and its benefits in combating the opioid epidemic.

When a person is overdosing on heroin or any other opioids, their breathing can slow down or stop, and it is very hard to wake them from this state.  Narcan will block the effects and reverse the overdose.

 

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