Efforts to fight back the abuse of drugs now have a new tool, easy access to an antidote that might just save lives.

That deal was struck between the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and Kroger, a chain of grocery stores. It allows anyone who has received a consultation from a pharmacist to receive the drug without a prescription.

Regularly, law enforcement agencies in Pearl River County, across the state and across the country report numerous arrests dealing with the abuse or sale of illegal narcotics. And, our medical personnel deal with overdoses from drug abuse regularly.

Opiates are growing in popularity recently. Not five years ago most of the drug-related cases reported by local law enforcement agencies entailed possession or sale of methamphetamine.

Recently, those arrests more often entail heroin.

Ask any officer who patrols the streets or investigates drug cases, they will tell you heroin use is on the rise.

While the exact reason for the sudden surge in popularity of heroin over

methamphetamine is in dispute, one thing is clear, something has to be done to not only educate the public, but also treat those who overdose on this and other powerful opioids.

Law enforcement agencies continue to play the cat and mouse game of keeping drugs out of our communities.

But these substances still get into the hands of those who really want them. And many times they may take too much, putting their lives at risk.

But this new ease of access to the antidote has also allowed emergency responders to start carrying the substance with them.

It’s unclear if our local emergency responders have been able to benefit from this move, especially since there are no Kroger stores within or near Pearl River County, but it is our hope that our local agencies will find a way to acquire this antidote in an effort to save lives and those who are addicted will seek the help they need.