Narcan is an overdose-reversing drug that has gained increasing attention as a way to address the opioid crisis.

"The good news is all were brought back to us by the increased availability and proliferation of Narcan," Campanello wrote Sunday morning.

Gloucester police dealt with four heroin overdoses in 24 hours, Police Chief Leonard Campanello wrote in an impassioned Facebook post Sunday that implored addicts to seek help.

In his Facebook post, Campanello spoke to addicts directly, saying the department accepts them and wants to help.

"We know that you don't want this," he wrote. "There is recovery and a new life that can and should be yours. You deserve it. Your life is more meaningful than your death... It's time...come and get the help."


Gloucester police have been running the Angel Program, which fast-tracks addicts into detox programs, since June 2015. The program helps anyone who walks into the station and expresses a desire to go to rehab. The addict is then paired with a volunteer "angel" who guides them, and the person is usually sent to a detox facility within hours.

"We've dedicated the last eight months to helping YOU," Campanello wrote in the Facebook post. "Why? Because we don't want to lose you. When you're ready, we will be here."

Aneri Pattani can be reached at aneri.pattani@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @apattani95.