New Britain

‘Random and scary': 1-year-old given Narcan after ingesting drugs in New Britain park

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A 1-year-old boy was administered Narcan after accidentally ingesting what authorities suspect was fentanyl in a Connecticut park last month.

The Office of the Child Advocate said the child was at Martha Hart Park in New Britain on July 14 when he suffered what appeared to be a severe opiate reaction.

According to authorities, it appears that the boy ingested the drugs after putting a plastic bag that previously contained illicit substances in his mouth.

The severity of the child's reaction indicated to authorities that he had ingested fentanyl, just "trace amounts" of which can cause a life-threatening reaction in a small child.

The boy received and responded to Narcan, a medication used to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.

"The child survived the incident thanks to Narcan," the Office of the Child Advocate said.

The boy's current condition is unknown, but authorities said they do not believe he suffered any further complications.

There is "no suspicion" that the drugs the boy ingested belonged to his caregiver, who authorities said was "present and in very close proximity" to the child when the incident occurred.

"This presents as a very random and scary incident," the Office of the Child Advocate said. "That’s the story here- just a kid in a park put at risk."

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