SAFE GC Coalition: On Narcan for Opioid Overdoses in Young Adults

Narcan, also known as Naloxone, is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency treatment for an Opioid overdose. Many young adults who have an opioid addiction may at one time have been given Narcan. There are three ways Narcan can be administered: injectable, auto-injectable and prepackaged nasal spray. The emergency medication reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

Opioid overdose is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in 2009 over 15,500 individuals in America had died from an opioid overdose. Since the FDA, first approved Narcan in 2015, the amount of deaths by opioid overdose have reduced significantly. In fact, Narcan has prevented more than 10,000 overdose deaths across the nation as of the 2010 CDC report.

Narcan has become more available in recent years. New York State passed a law on April 1, 2006 making it legal for non-medical personnel to administer Narcan. Now Narcan can also be found at local pharmacies, with a prescription, as well as with first responders such as law enforcement and emergency medical personnel. Any individual that will be administering Narcan must first take a training course about how to give the medication to someone experiencing an overdose. In fact, there are many courses available for family members of individuals struggling with an opioid addiction to attend. In addition, Governor Cuomo in 2014 announced free opioid overdose prevention trainings across the state of New York. The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) has a list of locations within communities on their website for prevention trainings.

Narcan nasal spray was approved by the FDA on November 2016. It makes it easier for family members and bystanders to administer Narcan. The nasal spray goes to the receptors in the brain of an individual having an overdose and connects to the opioid medication to reverse the effects.

The use of Narcan also helps to determine if an individual is having an opioid overdose. If it is used on an individual not having an overdose it simply will not work. If an individual is given Narcan and they appear to still be unconscious, then medical personnel will administer another dose of Narcan to the individual until their breathing becomes normal. It is important for people to know about the benefits of Narcan. Narcan helps individuals receive another opportunity to get into a recovery program.

Although Narcan has saved many lives it does not cure the epidemic. The deaths of individual overdoses have decreased but that does not stop individuals from using opioids. Many young adults are still struggling with their opioid addiction. Addiction is a chronic disease.

For additional information about Narcan (Naloxone) please visit the official webpage www.narcan.com.

For information about overdose prevention trainings and locations in the state of New York please visit the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services website at www.oasas.ny.gov/atc/ATCherointraining.cfm.

To learn more about the FDA’s strategies to approach the opioid crisis https:please visit go.usa.gov/xQxDU.

The SAFE Glen Cove Coalition is conducting an opioid prevention awareness campaign entitled "Keeping Glen Cove SAFE" to educate and update the community regarding opioid use and its consequences. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencove or visit SAFE’s website to learn more about the Opioid Epidemic at www.safeglencove.org.