OTC Narcan Is Akin to Bandaging a Gaping Wound

The FDA approved Narcan (naloxone) to be sold over the counter (OTC) to reverse an opioid overdose rapidly. How did the United States opioid crisis get so bad that its pharmacies now sell a drug originally used by emergency personnel? There is no simple answer to that question, and opinions are abundant. Unfortunately, no one agrees on what is at the root of America’s opioid epidemic.

Instead, they blame it on everything but the real problem — moral laziness. According to Kathie Jenni, a Philosophy professor at the University at Redlands: “Moral laziness is a vice distinguishable from the weakness of will and other failings.” In other words, people are morally lazy when they do not respond in a way they know is correct in avoidable circumstances. That may seem like an oversimplification, but it is not.

Moving beyond this deadly epidemic will take everyone’s help. Currently, American politicians, faith leaders, school administrators, teachers, and parents are taking the lazy path of blaming one another. Their actions prove that they would rather point fingers than find a solution: They celebrate OTC Narcan as though it is an answer. But, making it easy to get an antidote is merely putting a bandage on a gaping wound.

Granted, it took generations to get to this point in the opioid epidemic, and there is no quick fix. Additionally, making it easier to get Narcan might help to lower overdose-related deaths. Still, it is not enough when the death count rises: A CDC 2021 report indicated 50,943 individuals died of overdoses in the United States.

Of these, 81.9% involved at least one opioid, including Illicitly Manufactured Fentanyl (IMF), heroin, and prescription opioids. Deaths of males outnumber females, 48.2% to 20.4%. The CDC statistics also revealed that naloxone was administered in 20.2% of these deaths. Imagine how many deaths might have been prevented if Narcan was as easily available as now.

Narcan Can Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths

Narcan works well to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses. Remember, this OTC drug is only a temporary bandage. It alone will not end opioid deaths.

For example, Portland police officers responded to nearly a dozen overdose calls on March 30, 2023. KWG News reported that “officers used Narcan on six occasions, and three resulted in death investigations.” The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) suspects fentanyl usage in most of the 11 suspected overdoses investigated Friday. PPB says a 33-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were among the overdose deaths that day.

Another instance of emergency Narcan use happened in Beaverton, a Portland suburb, on March 13. Beaverton emergency services reported naloxone was used on a child. Upon arriving at her daycare provider’s home, her parents found the two-year-old’s face was blue; she was not breathing and had no pulse.

The driver, Josh Guido, tried CPR but was worried about hurting her. Danyele Ramison, a neighbor, resuscitated the child before the Beaverton police and paramedics arrived on the scene. They administered Narcan and rushed her to the hospital, where the staff gave her another dose when the overdose symptoms started again. Hospital staff expects the toddler to recover.

However, the pills that almost killed her were found in the vehicle. Reportedly, the car belonged to Josh Guido’s teenage son. A Beaverton police representative told reporters that he could not discuss an ongoing case.

Sadly, these incidents are only two stories out of thousands published weekly. Equally sad is that elected officials cannot get on the same page about how to address the crisis. Making Narcan easily available helps, but it is only a bandage. Republican and Democrat Congress members cannot agree on who is responsible for the epidemic, let alone draft a plan to end the deaths of America’s children and young adults. Instead, they attack one another, clearly displaying their moral laziness.

Written by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

KGW8 NBC News: Portland police report 11 suspected drug overdoses, at least 3 dead
KGW8 NBC News: Toddler taken to Beaverton hospital after suspected fentanyl overdose
KOIN6 CBS News: Neighbor ‘tried my best’ when Beaverton toddler OD’d on fentanyl; by Jenny Young
FDA News Release: FDA Approves First Over-the-Counter Naloxone Nasal Spray
Spectrum News: Democrats, GOP agree fentanyl is a national crisis, but differ on how to address it; by Angi Gonzalez

Featured and Top Image by Senior Airman Amber Mullen for the US Air National Guard Courtesy of DVIDS – Public Domain License
Inset Image Courtesy of Governor Tom Wolf’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License