Block Island seeing increase in opioid overdoses, police warn

NEW SHOREHAM, R.I. (WPRI) — The New Shoreham Police Department issued a warning Wednesday about a recent increase in opioid overdoses.

With these incidents on the rise over the past few weeks, police urged the public to be vigilant and heed the following precautions:

• If a pill is not from a pharmacy, it’s not real.
• Don’t take medicines not prescribed for you.
• Know how to use Naloxone and keep it nearby.

Naloxone, often referred to by the brand name Narcan, is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Anyone who utilizes naloxone is protected by Good Samaritan laws, police noted, and it can be obtained for free through PreventOverdoseRI.org.