Marietta Police Create Opioid Overdose Response Team

MARIETTA, GA -- Local police have created a new, community outreach initiative designed to combat the opioid epidemic. The program, called the Assist Team, will visit individuals who survived an opioid overdose through the use of Narcan, which is used to revive the victim. The non-judicial visit will be conducted by two plain clothes officers within 24 hours of the overdose.

The officers will encourage the addict to seek treatment and recovery, and will leave information on resources. If the victim is receptive to seeking help, the officers will stay in contact with them on their hopeful road to recovery.

The packet of information being left behind to each addict is being provided by Davis Direction, a Marietta-based organization dedicated to fighting heroin and opioid addiction. The organization is also providing training to police and firefighters in the vernacular of opioid addicts. Marietta police Lt. Michael Goins is coordinating the team, which is a public/private partnership between Marietta police and fire, the Metro Ambulance Service and Davis Direction organization.

Marietta police said in 2018 they used Narcan 100 times to revive overdose victims.