Oregon police department urges people to stop calling 911 for toilet paper

An Oregon police department is urging residents to stop calling 911 for toilet paper. 

“It’s hard to believe that we even have to post this. Do not call 9-1-1 just because you ran out of toilet paper. You will survive without our assistance,” the police department in Newport, Ore., wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. 

The department’s tongue-and-cheek post cited toilet paper alternatives used in times of need throughout history — from seamen using “old rope and anchor lines soaked in salt water” to Americans using pages from the Sears Christmas catalog, which was “four times thicker than the normal catalog.” 

“Be resourceful. Be patient. There is a TP shortage. This too shall pass. Just don’t call 9-1-1. We cannot bring you toilet paper,” the department wrote. 

Stores across the country, and online retailers, have been sold out of toilet paper as Americans stock up.

Oregon announced eight new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 47. Based on data from the state health department, there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Lincoln County, where the city of Newport is located.