Overdose antidote demand triples in 2016
http://www.whas11.com/news/local/overdose-antidote-demand-triples-in-2016/226796225
Louisville, KY has a population of 600,000 and already this year 1300 doses of Naloxone has been administered
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) — First responders said their use of the drug Narcan, the medication used to reverse the effects of a heroin overdose, has tripled over the last year.
As the demand for Narcan goes up, so does the price, and in 2016 alone it’s estimated it could cost taxpayers $44,000 more than 2015.
However first responders, and one former addict, tell WHAS Narcan is worth every penny.
“My first overdose I was 13 years old,” said Daniel Nolan. “I remember doing the dope, and I remember telling them I’m overdosing.”
October 12th, 2015 is a day Daniel Nolan will never forget because for the fifth and final time in his life he overdosed.
“It was terrifying,” said Nolan. “All it made me want to do in the end was just die. I went black, and then I came to in the hospital twenty or 30 minutes later.”
Daniel was saved thanks to a drug known as Narcan, which Diane Vogel of Metro EMS said is used to try and stop 9 overdoses per day in Louisville alone.
“Everybody’s administration of NARCAN is up because the use of recreational drugs that are in the area,” said Vogel. “It’s not an unusual finding at all, but we’ve given it in the community over 1,300 times already this year.”
“Thank god for Narcan,” said Nolan.
Vogel said the demand for NARCAN is on the rise because of the fillers being used to cut drugs such as Heroin.
“You never know what’s in it, and I didn’t even care,” said Nolan. “I really didn’t care. The more bad stuff that was in it the better it was.”
“If the person who is using the drug mixes it with another drug it makes the potency of the heroin even stronger which takes more medication to counter act that,” said Vogel.
The higher the demand, the higher the price. A single dose of Narcan costs $33 dollars.
However the drug is almost too effective.
“It is extremely dangerous, and I don’t think they realize the shape that they’re actually in because they feel so fine after the fact,” said Vogel.
“It was hard man, but it wasn’t nearly as hard as going out there and trying to get another high,” said Nolan.
If you or a loved one use these drugs, you can go register for an at home Narcan kit by clicking here: https://kyhrc.org/get-a-naloxone-kit/
Filed under: General Problems
Remember that we always need to apply the Law of Unintended Consequences.
Intended use: Narcan will save the lives of those poor, addicted souls who accidentally overdose.
Unintended consequence: Idiot drug abusers will push the envelope on the amount of drug they should ingest confident in the knowledge that Narcan will be used to save their life when they push it too far.
There would be a lot fewer overdoses if we allowed your first overdose to be your last. Instead, we bring you back again and again so you can keep on trying. Harsh? Yeah, I know.