Two sergeants have administered the life-saving nasal spray Naloxone to two people suffering from a drug overdose in Sheffield and Doncaster.

After a man presented at Doncaster's College Road Police Station to report a crime, he suddenly fell ill and collapsed on the floor. With his condition deteriorating, an urgent call was put out to any officers in the vicinity carrying Naloxone. Doncaster Central Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) Sergeant Martin Maw, who was in the city centre on patrol at the time, responded to the request over the radio and made his way to the police station.

Upon arrival, other officers had started administering CPR at the advice of the ambulance service before Sgt Maw assessed the man and administered one single spray of Naloxone. Within a few minutes, the man's breathing became much deeper and he became more responsive.

No further CPR was required and the man was conveyed to hospital for further medical assessments.

In Sheffield, City Centre NPT sergeant Simon Pickering helped a man who was unconscious in King Street due to a suspected drugs overdose. Naloxone had already been administered by another party, with Sgt Pickering giving a second dose of the nasal spray.

Again, it took just minutes for Naloxone to have an effect, with the man's breathing becoming deeper. He also became responsive and was then seen by paramedics who transported him to hospital.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Oughton, who is our force lead for drugs, said: "These two separate and successful administrations took place within days of each other, and really emphasise just how quickly Naloxone works to counteract the effects of a potentially harmful opioid overdose.

"In both instances, fully-trained officers assessed the situation in front of them before administering Naloxone.
"On both occasions, the medicine worked within minutes to make the men more responsive and bought crucial time for later medical intervention by paramedics.

"Having this life-saving tool at our disposal as police officers really is invaluable and it could be the difference between life and death. "It works really quickly to target and combat any opioids in a person's system and can prevent someone from slipping into a potentially fatal cardiac arrest.

"Our primary duty as police officers is to preserve and save lives and Naloxone allows us to do just that."

Naloxone works to reverse the impact of opioids such as heroin, methadone and opium.
Naloxone was rolled out by South Yorkshire Police in December 2024 following partnership work involving all four of the county's local authorities.

All police officers and operational staff must complete mandatory training before they are allowed to carry it and the decision to carry it is optional.