It has been reported that the Pennsylvania State Police is preparing to carry a medication used to counter overdoses from heroin and opioid prescription drugs.

The police officials got the permission to do this after passing of a state law that took effect in November 2014. The law allows police officers and firefighters to administer naloxone, and members of some municipal forces already are prepared to do so.

From now the Pennsylvania State Police will start carrying along with them naloxone kits in patrol cars.

Gov. Tom Wolf said in an opinion piece published in several newspapers since Sunday that in Delaware County, where the police has already been using naloxone, were successful in saving more than 31 lives.

Wolf wrote, "The benefits of naloxone cannot be denied. Naloxone is a non-narcotic and non-addictive prescription drug, so it can only be used to prevent overdoses and save lives".

Jeffrey Sheridan, spokesman for Mr. Wolf stated that in 2014, the state police investigated nearly 183 deaths from overdose and nearly 126 deaths caused due to non-fatal overdoses.

These figures do not distinguish between opioid overdoses, which can be treated by naloxone, and non-opioid overdoses, he said.

He further stated that all the members of the state police Troop B, which covers southwestern Pennsylvania, have completed their training.

The naloxone kits were provided free of cost to the state police through grants from insurance companies, Mr. Sheridan said. The Highmark Foundation contributed $50,000, spokesman Aaron Billger said.

Gov. Wolf also wrote that he has directed Rachel Levine, physician general, to write a standing order that will serve as a prescription to allow all Pennsylvania citizens.

In addition, the Mt. Lebanon police is also planning to train officers to administer naloxone, said Deputy Chief Aaron Lauth.

Pittsburgh so far has no such plans to train police officers to use naloxone because EMS personnel carry it routinely and often is the first to respond to an overdose, said Sonya Toler, public safety spokeswoman.