A new state law has injected life-saving help into the critical emergency response arsenal, and the early results are impressive.

Naloxone, the medication that Chester County officials equipped police with and pushed through bureaucratic red tape to get into the hands of first responders months ahead of schedule, has revived nearly 300 people statewide so far this year.

“Pennsylvania has been seeing a sharp increase in drug overdoses across the state. Having naloxone kits in the hands of our first responders, who are often first on the scene, can make the difference between life and death,” Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Gary Tennis said in a recent Philly.com report.

Typically packaged as a nasal spray, the medication blocks further damage from an opioid overdose and can restore a patient’s breathing.

“Twenty-four people died from heroin overdoses in Chester County in 2013,” state Sen. Andy Dinniman said in previous VISTA Today coverage of the effort. “Everyone deserves a second chance at life and at recovery.”

Read more about the early success of naloxone on Philly.com here and check out the previous VISTA Today coverage of its use by local police and first responders here.