The FDA recently approved the use of a Narcan (naxolone) intramuscular injector for home use. The same route as a Epinephrine intramuscular injector (EpiPen) used to counteract the very quick and very deadly allergic reaction otherwise know as Anaphylaxis.

What is naxolone? What are we talking about here? Naxolone otherwise know as its brand name Narcan is an opioid antagonist. Meaning in a very basic sence that it binds to opioid receptors in your brain and blocks them from receiving any opioids (Heroin, Vicodin, Norco, Oxycontin, and any other opiate based medication or drug). Narcan has ZERO side effects and essentially only one indicator; an overdose of any opioid based substance. An opioid overdose manifests itself as pinpoint pupils, pale or cyanotic skin, diaphoresis, decreased or completely absent respiratory effort eventually leading to death.

Now, I have administered Narcan countless times and have seen first hand the dramatic effects of this lifesaving drug. *see here Bringing Out the Dead Best Scene: http://youtu.be/8xU_vcb3kso

**note**Now I'm unsure whether or not this link will work unless you copy and paste in your address bar the old fashioned way. **

What you just saw is what Narcan will do. Albeit not nearly as dramatic but still breathtaking (pardon the pun) nonetheless.

What have I been building upto here? There has been some controversy over the FDAs decision to release this as a household medication. Why should we save these low life degenerates? These scumbag junkies? The will just get released from hospital and go overdose again! We should let natural selection sort out the problem! These are the arguments I've heard.

When does one lose their "right" to live? The minute they use heroin? They moment they start self medicating with their pain medicine? The average person would probably say junkies made their bed and they should lie in it. Well that might be partially true; they themselves made the decision to start using heroin. I believe if the medication is available to help these people attain a second (third, fourth or fifth given the propensity for relapse) chance, why not? Junkies and pill heads are your father's, mothers, brothers, and sisters; someone loves these people and wants them to survive. Now they have that opportunity and people have the gall to say that they shouldn't get this option. Some people would let these people die because they essentially view these types of people as useless wastes of glucose and oxygen.

The same people who oppose this landmark decision also oppose the innovative Needle exchange programs (mainly used in Europe and Canada). If you are unaware of what exactly I'm talking about; here are the basics. Some pharmacies are giving out clean and fresh syringes, alcohol pads, tourniquet and gloves for free to anyone who will ask for them. The idea is to cease the spread of HIV and other serious bloodborn pathogens by cutting the need to reuse old needles and syringes. It has been implemented in Europe for a few years now, and some places even offer a clean sterile and closely monitored environment in which to get high. As you can imagine infection rates have dropped significantly.

Here is a link to the wiki article: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needle_exchange_programme

Harm reduction is the name of the game here folks. I say let them have their safety net. As a paramedic I doubt that this will have any effect on our call volume, given that we will probably still be call regardless. Something needs to change, because the current structure isn't holding well.

Until next time.

