What first looked like a drunk man stumbling through the neighborhood turned out to be something far more serious.
Portsmouth officers were called to Franklin Avenue after reports of a man in an orange shirt staggering around and barely able to stay on his feet.
When officers caught up with him, they quickly realized he was overdosing.
Police administered one dose of Narcan, but when the man didn’t respond, they gave a second dose.
That worked.
EMS responded to the scene as well, but the man was not taken to the hospital.
Instead, he agreed to go with the local Quick Response Team, which works to connect people struggling with addiction to treatment and recovery services.
Officers also issued him a summons for drunk and disorderly conduct.
⚠️ WHY THIS MATTERS
Narcan can save lives—but sometimes it takes more than one dose, especially with stronger street drugs now common.
If someone appears to be overdosing:
- Call 911 immediately
- Give Narcan if available
- Stay with them until help arrives
In this case, quick action by officers likely kept a bad situation from becoming a fatal one.