Police use narcan to revive women who overdosed at Lowe’s

Two women who overdosed at the Lowe’s store in Mahoning Township will not face charges because of a state law which provides immunity for people who report overdoses in good faith.

On Feb. 16 at 2:37 p.m., Mahoning Township Police assisted ambulance workers with a reported overdose at Lowe’s. A woman was found unconscious in the back seat of a car in the store’s parking lot.

A second woman was found stumbling around inside the store. While she was being escorted out of the store, she lost consciousness.

Mahoning Police said multiple doses of narcan were used to revive the women.

Officers recovered methamphetamine, syringes and suspected ecstasy pills from one of the overdose victims.

However police say they will not file charges against the women because of the state’s overdose immunity act, which offers protection for people who contact law enforcement when someone needs medical attention because of a drug overdose.

Mahoning Police said the person who called 911 met the requirements of the immunity act, which also outlines the use of narcan by law enforcement to reverse overdoses.

The law, passed in 2014, offers legal immunity to people who seek medical attention for someone suffering from an overdose. There are several requirements to receive immunity:

•The person reporting the overdose must have a reasonable belief that another person was in need of immediate medical attention to prevent death or serious injury.

• The person cooperates with police, including providing their name and location.

• The individual remains with the person until law enforcement arrives.

If the person meets the requirements, the person suffering from the overdose also gets immunity.

Both women were transported to a hospital following the incident.

Police said one of the women, 25-year-old Tia Green of Jim Thorpe, was jailed on a warrant for violating probation.