A Hudson Valley officer used an opioid reversal drug to save the life of a teenager who overdosed on heroin Sunday.

“[This is] exactly why having Narcan in the hands of (first) responders may make the difference between a save and a tragedy," East Fishkill Chief of Police Kevin Keefe told the Poughkeepsie Journal.

The drug Narcan, also known as Naloxone, is administered through a nasal spray and temporarily reverses the effects of certain drugs.

Before arriving at the Stormville Mountain home last weekend, East Fishkill Police Officer Tammy Mantagna had never administered the drug but had received training on its use. While on scene, Montagna was informed the 18-year-old had overdosed on heroin and applied the drug to the unconscious man, according to an East Fishkill Police Department Facebook posting. The man then regained consciousness.

“Who knows what would have happened if we had to wait the extra five minutes or so for the paramedics to get there,” Mantagna said in an interview with the Hudson Valley News Network.

Keefe said the man was transported to Putnam Hospital Center, where he received treatment.

At least 25 overdose deaths in Dutchess County have been attributed to the use of heroin or heroin and other drugs since 2013, according to the East Fishkill Police Department.

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