WEYMOUTH, Mass. — A Massachusetts firefighter is facing criticism across the country and an investigation after he posted on Facebook slamming drug addicts, and the drug Narcan. Narcan is used to reverse the effects of an opiate overdose and often can save the life of someone who has overdosed.
The post read:
“Narcan is the worst drug ever created, let the **** bags die….I for one get no extra money for giving narcan and these losers are out of the hospital and using again in hours, you use you should loose (sic)!”
The firefighter appeared to have deleted his Facebook account by Sunday afternoon, according to The Patriot Ledger. Town officials are not releasing his name at this time.
Weymouth Mayor Robert Hedlund and Fire Chief Keith Stark both said they are aware of the post and are initiating an investigation. Monday afternoon, the president of the local firefighters union posted an official statement on the Weymouth Firefighters Facebook page, responding to the backlash.
There were 185 confirmed and suspected opioid overdoses resulting in 24 deaths in Weymouth in 2015, according to the Ledger.
People from all over the country have written in to the fire department expressing their anger with the Facebook comment. A nurse from Delaware, MaryBeth Cichocki, posted a YouTube video to the Weymouth Fire Department asking them to “shatter the stigma” of drug overdoses.
