Branford Sees Spike In Drug Use; Cops Given Narcan To Combat It

BRANFORD, CT - The town of Branford is experiencing the same issues with the drug overdose crisis that has plagued Connecticut as the rest of the state. At the most recent Board of Police Commissioners meeting, Police Chief Kevin Halloran reported that the police department is doing something about it.

Halloran reported that each Police Department squad car has now been supplied with Narcan, which is the overdose reversal drug first responders most often use, when they called to the scene of a drug overdose.

In the past Narcan has generally been used by the Fire Department and EMT first responders but Halloran said the Fire Department recently trained all the police department personnel on how to effectively use Narcan.

Halloran said Branford has seen an “increase in behavioral issue - especially drug use” recently. He said the police have noticed the spike especially during the 4-midnight shift.

In addition to the opioid and heroin epidemic, which killed more than 1,000 people in Connecticut in 2017 and is on course to do the same in 2018, the chief said the town has also seen an increase in marijuana use recently.

He said that use is generally younger people hanging “out in parked cars.” Some of that use, he said, has even spread to the Branford Green area - and the parking lots in the surrounding churches.

The chief was asked whether the recent spate of synthetic marijuana overdoses that sickened scores of people at the New Haven Green was part of the reason the problem was spiking in nearby Branford.

“I don’t think you can necessarily blame in on New Haven,” Halloran answered. “We are having a problem in Branford with narcotic use.” I really can’t say its coming from New Haven.”

Photo by Jack Kramer