Saving Lives from Opiate Overdose

Saving Lives from Opiate Overdose

The evolution of American drug use has two faces: On one side is the groundswell for the approval of medical marijuana and even recreational marijuana. On the other side, the arrival of heroin abuse and opiate overdoses in the suburbs has increased the demand for lifesaving methods to combat overdoses.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the approval of Evzio, an auto-injector version of naloxone, the drug that can reverse opioid overdoses. Naloxone blocks the opiate drug from binding with opioid receptors and can prevent someone who might stop breathing from overdose. Previously, naloxone has been available in hospitals and to emergency personnel, although not all emergency responders carry it. In a few states, private citizens with a need for it could be trained to use naloxone. Now naloxone in the Evzio pen is available by prescription. It means family members and loved ones can use it quickly if they fear a person has overdosed on opiates. The ability to reverse an overdose before getting to a hospital can mean the difference between life and death.

Some people are concerned that approving a method like Evzio gives addicts a ‘free pass’ to abuse drugs, knowing they can reverse any overdose. Experts insist this is not the case. Many overdoses come from people not intentionally abusing opiates. They take a prescribed dose of a painkiller, but mix it with something like alcohol or a benzodiazepine, which makes the opiate stronger.

The greatest danger for opiate overdose occurs among people in recovery who relapse. If someone returns to using drugs, they go back to the doses they used before, which was probably an elevated dose. After a period of abstinence, their bodies are no longer habituated to the drug and that old dose is now an overdose. In such situations, Evzio can save lives.

Evzio is not a treatment for addiction, but a tool to help those at the greatest risk for relapse that can keep them alive before help arrives. The dose of naloxone in Evzio is a stop-gap measure and does not last long. You should still seek treatment for the overdose after using Evzio. It’s possible the person could experience overdose again, even without taking more drugs.

For loved ones and family members, a doctor can prescribe Evzio, which they can use on someone struggling with narcotics addiction or are taking opioids for a medical condition.