River Phoenix, John Belushi, Dee Dee Ramone, Jim Morrison, Chris Farley, Janis Joplin all died of drug overdoses that included opiates such as heroin or morphine. Imagine if you were there while they were overdosing and you had something that would very likely save them.
That life saving drug is called Naloxone, usually called by its brand name "Narcan", and it has a very high save rate for those going through opioid overdose. Naloxone works by blocking the receptors in the brain from opioid. It doesn't provide a high and isn't abused- as shown in its success in cities like Chicago and New York.
Remember the scene in Pulp Fiction where Uma Thurman is revived when she is stabbed in the heart with a needle. Administering Narcan is much easier than that- you don't hit the heart. You can just stick the needle in a thigh and there is even a version of the drug that can be given under the tongue. And, just like Uma Thurman's character, the person wakes up pretty quickly.
Here is a great New Haven Independent article on use of the overdose death prevention drug- Naloxone (brand name- Narcan) in the US.
Here is a fabulous video on Naloxone by CRA
That life saving drug is called Naloxone, usually called by its brand name "Narcan", and it has a very high save rate for those going through opioid overdose. Naloxone works by blocking the receptors in the brain from opioid. It doesn't provide a high and isn't abused- as shown in its success in cities like Chicago and New York.
Remember the scene in Pulp Fiction where Uma Thurman is revived when she is stabbed in the heart with a needle. Administering Narcan is much easier than that- you don't hit the heart. You can just stick the needle in a thigh and there is even a version of the drug that can be given under the tongue. And, just like Uma Thurman's character, the person wakes up pretty quickly.
Here is a great New Haven Independent article on use of the overdose death prevention drug- Naloxone (brand name- Narcan) in the US.
Here is a fabulous video on Naloxone by CRA
Picture via Flickr
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