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Ohio city manager responds to ‘3 strikes, you’re out’ overdose proposal

Douglas Adkins said no new method has been adopted and responders will continue to render aid

By Police1 Staff

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio – A city manager responded to the viral comments made by one of their councilmen about not administering naloxone to overdose patients who have been treated more than twice.

Middletown City Manager Douglas Adkins said in a statement that Councilman Dan Picard wanted to know if there was a legal and ethical way to choose not to dispatch to overdose patients who had been treated several times. And, if possible, the council could later form a system that would offer community service and treatment to overdose addicts instead of jail time.

“There was no three strikes policy discussed by council as a group, no change of policy voted on,” Adkins said. “No change or request to change was made by the majority of council to alter how we run police or fire calls on potential overdose situations. We will complete the legal research requested and forward the information to city council at some later date.”

Adkins stressed that the city understands the severity behind the disease of addiction, and have several programs to help those suffering, such as needle exchanges and medically supervised treatment.

No new method has been adopted and responders will continue render aid for every overdose call.

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