Deaths related to Fentanyl and other opioids is a growing concern across the country and lawmakers look for ways to combat the Fentanyl Crisis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number one reason people die accidental deaths in the U.S. is drug overdoses. Their statistics show nearly 81,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2021 and sadly, that number is expected to rise for 2022.
A recent move by the FDA could help save lives by making Naloxone, or Narcan, available without a prescription.
Dr. Randy Gelow, Medical Director at The Hope House, says this should have happened years ago. ” I believe that people will now realize that opioids are much more apparent than people want to think since now the reversal agent is over the counter to combat deaths,” said Dr. Gelow. This is a sentiment shared by many across the Valley.
The doctor said while making Naloxone more easily available, there are also potential dangers too, “I hope that having Narcan over the counter doesn’t make people feel they can be more reckless or try to get a higher high just because they have access to Narcan to protect them if they over do it.”
