Experts want expansion of Narcan education, distribution
Thousands survive overdoses with help from Narcan
One thousand people struggling with opioid addiction died in Massachusetts last year.
Thousands more did survive overdoses, many of them with the help of Narcan.
According to a state report, between December 2007 and March 2014 more 22,500 people in the state were trained to administer Narcan and 2,655 overdoses were successfully reversed.
"There's explicit messages that these lives are not worth saving," said Dr. Alex Walley, physician at Boston Medical Center who specializes in addiction. "If we give people a long enough time alive, most people get better."
Walley said naloxone, known to most as Narcan, can give people time.
It has been in use for decades, and in the Bay State, the Naloxone Education and Distribution Program has expanded the past few years.
"A lot of our young people were dying and we needed to do something to address it," said Quincy police Chief Paul Keenan. He was the first in the county to arm all of his officers with Narcan back in 2010.
"It's been very, very effective," said Keenan.
To date, Narcan has been used 420 times in Quincy. All but 17 people got a second chance.
"Every life matters and the only way you're going to get cured and go to rehab is if you survive through the overdose," said Keenan.
Families of addicts are now carrying Narcan and so are active users.
"Most of the rescues that we've had, most of the lives saved, have been people who use drugs saving other people who use drugs. That is very empowering," said Walley.
He believes that Narcan needs to get into the hands of more people.
Walley thinks that education and distribution should take place in detox facilities and treatment centers. He said that 80 percent of people who leave detox without further treatment will relapse and many of them overdose because their tolerance has dropped.
Right now, Narcan costs about $40 per dose.
The costs are often covered by state funding and other grants.
The price has recently increased by more than 100 percent. State Attorney General Maura Healey is in discussion with the maker of Narcan to find out why and to try to bring the price back down.