Wyoming game wardens are now equipped to handle drug overdoses in addition to enforcing fishing, hunting, and boating laws. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has authorized field personnel to carry Narcan, a life-saving treatment that can reverse opioid overdoses, as reported by Cowboy State Daily.
The United States is currently facing its deadliest drug epidemic in history, with more than 107,000 Americans dying in the past year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The potent opioid fentanyl is responsible for many of these deaths.
Sublette County Sheriff Sgt. Travis Bingham told Cowboy State Daily that carrying Narcan will benefit not only the people game wardens encounter but also the wardens themselves.
“Fentanyl is so strong, and it takes so little,” Bingham said. “If you’re patting a suspect down, it can produce fentanyl powder. It can absorb through your skin if you touch it without gloves or you could inhale it.”
As Emily’s Hope previously reported, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan for over-the-counter sales in March 2023.
Emily’s Hope is also trying to make a difference by installing a free Narcan dispenser box in the Jones421 building in downtown Sioux Falls. Emily’s Hope also hands out Narcan at public events.
