La Crosse County goes without heroin overdose death in 2014

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) - There were no deaths from heroin overdoses in La Crosse County last year and officials are crediting naloxone, a drug that counteracts overdoses.

The La Crosse Tribune (http://bit.ly/1xKmAer ) reports more emergency responders are carrying naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan. Two people died in La Crosse County from accidental heroin overdoses in 2013 and five died in 2012.

Paramedics from Tri-State Ambulance used naloxone on 181 patients last year, up from 133 in 2013. Firefighters in La Crosse used it on 30 patients last year, their first year carrying the drug.

"Every time we use Narcan, they've come out," said Steve Cash, who trained La Crosse firefighters on how to use the drug. "It was successful 100 percent of the time."

Gov. Scott Walker signed several bills into law last year to fight what state officials said was a dramatic increase in heroin use and overdose deaths. One bill allowed more first responders to carry naloxone.

People trained to use naloxone by the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin office in La Crosse reported administering it 76 times last year, up from 37 in 2013. The center trained 56 people in 2014 and 51 in 2013.

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Information from: La Crosse Tribune, http://www.lacrossetribune.com