As Narcan continues to save lives amidst an opioid epidemic, it’s starting to become more and more accessible. In March, the Federal Drug Administration approved Narcan nasal spray for over the counter use, marking it the first naloxone product approved without a prescription. Now, several months later, most grocery and drug stores finally have Narcan on the shelves.
‘We want to make sure that whether you’re a school, a business, a restaurant, no matter where you are, or an office building, you want to have access to this life saving measure.’
-Dr. Rahul Gupta with the White House Office of National Drug Control.
You can buy a 2-dose box of Narcan at Walgreens for $44.99, and Medicaid pays for it in several states. In some areas across the country, you can even find Narcan vending machines. Many school districts also allow Narcan to be carried in schools now.
According to the latest federal data published on NPR, there were over 109,000 drug-related deaths in 2022, many from Fentanyl. Drug deaths nationwide are at an all-time high as the Fentanyl crisis deeps. The festival community has seen many of these encounters first-hand, unfortunately. Pasquale Rotella of Insomniac has even expressed his support to combat the opioid epidemic with improved accessibility to Narcan.
Carrying Narcan on you could save someone’s life, and now with the ease of finding Narcan over the counter in 2023, it’s imperative we look out for one another as best as we can.
Source: Komo News