SOUTH Yorkshire Police officers will now be able to carry a life-saving medicine that reverses the effects of a potentially lethal opioid overdose.

Naloxone is a drug that can reverse the impact of opioids such as heroin and morphine as well as synthetic opioids, including methadone, fentanyl and Nitazenes.

It is already used by most other police forces in the UK and now Naloxone will be carried by trained frontline officers and operational staff who agree to have it on their person.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Oughton, who is force lead for drugs markets, said: "Having Naloxone available for our officers to administer really could be the difference between life and death.

"If someone has overdosed on opioids, Naloxone can rapidly reverse the effects of these harmful drugs.

“It buys crucial time for medical intervention by paramedics and hospital staff and can therefore potentially save someone's life if it is administered quickly.

"The effectiveness of Naloxone cannot be understated and if administered to someone who is experiencing an opioid overdose, it acts as an emergency antidote to reverse the effects.

"Within 15 minutes of being administered, a person's breathing can be restored to normal if it had slowed or stopped.

"Naloxone really is a life-saving drug and it will help to keep more people safe and reduce the number of tragic drug-related deaths across South Yorkshire."