Anchorage Police Department begins carrying naloxone

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Anchorage Police Department has confirmed that officers are carrying Kloxxado, a form of naloxone.

Naloxone is a drug that is used to prevent opioid overdoses. Kloxxado is administered through a nasal spray and blocks the effects of an opioid overdose.

“It’s protecting the officers from possible cross-contamination. It’s also protecting and keeping Alaskan and Anchorage citizens, in particular, alive until EMS can arrive on scene,” opioid overdose prevention advocate Sandy Snodgrass said.

Alaska had the largest percent increase in drug overdose deaths in any state of the United States in 2020 and 2021, according to the Alaska High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.

Snodgrass started the AK Fentanyl Response project after her son Bruce Snodgrass died from a fentanyl overdose in October 2021. Since then she has also become a naloxone distributor in an effort to prevent what has happened to her son from becoming the story of others in Alaska.

“The reason I do this is I’m Bruce’s mother, and his life was cut short by fentanyl. So there has to be a reason for that. For me, there has to be a reason that he died and if the reason is to try to help other people’s children stay alive, then that’s, that’s a life well lived for him. And it’s a life moving forward for me that I get to keep my son close to me,” Snodgrass said.

If someone wishes to carry naloxone in the case of an emergency, Project HOPE supplies naloxone for free to a wide variety of providers across Alaska, which can be found on the state website.

The CDC recommends that if you believe someone is having an overdose, call 911, administer naloxone if available, and keep that person awake, breathing, and on their side until help arrives.

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