National Police Board chief inspector
Vesa Pihajoki expressed hesitancy about a working group's proposal to equip patrol officers with naloxone, a medication that can prevent opiate overdoses.
In an aim to prevent overdose fatalities, an expert working group is examining whether Finland should distribute naloxone to addicts and their families free-of-charge.
Pihajoki said putting the onus on police officers to decide when to administer medication in the field would be troublesome.
"Guards in police department jails dispense doctor-prescribed medications, at predetermined dosages. For that reason alone, training needed to be arranged so that the distribution of meds could be handled," Pihajoki said.