Laypersons Become Opioid Overdose Antidote Aficionados: Turns Out ‘Heroic Efforts’ Now Include Extra Trips to the Pharmacy!

After a rollercoaster of needle-filled ups and downs, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is finally waving a tiny white flag of optimism—overdose deaths dipped a whole 3% in 2023! Yes, you heard that right. It’s the first time the Grim Reaper decided to take a coffee break since 2018. Researchers credit the sudden decrease to the collective heroics of average Joe and Jane, who have taken it upon themselves to become the unofficial Avengers of Naloxone, aka Narcan—an opioid overdose antidote that’s so easy to administer, it’s practically a party trick at this point.

In a world where calling 911 is often an Olympic sport of endurance, making naloxone as available as a cheap beer at a tailgate has become the public health equivalent of installing a lifeguard at a kiddie pool. Spoiler alert: it’s working!

The latest study from the prestigious journal JAMA Network Open—because nothing says ‘serious science’ like jargon-laden publications—reveals that between June 2020 and June 2022, over 744,078 folks received naloxone, grabbed from the hands of random bystanders who may have learned how to use it from a YouTube video or simply by divine intervention. While naloxone distributed by emergency services saw a delightful 6.1% decline, laypersons swooping in with their quick thumbs to save lives skyrocketed by a jaw-dropping 43.5%. Who knew that “just grab whatever’s in the kitchen drawer and spray it!” could be a valid life-saving technique?

“We can clutch our pearls while we pat ourselves on the back,” said Chris Gage, the study’s lead author and self-proclaimed knight in shining (albeit very casual) armor in the field of emergency medical research. “This shows that public health efforts are working.” Because nothing screams ‘successful public health initiative’ like entrusting addiction recovery to the untrained masses!

For those blissfully unaware, naloxone is a miracle in a bottle—one quick spray, and it blocks opioids like a bouncer at an exclusive club. It could restore someone’s breathing faster than it takes your neighbor to complain about your lawn. But before you turn into a fully-fledged street medic, Gage recommends dialing 911—because life-saving, while it sounds great, often still requires a professional or two to follow up.

“It’s as easy as spraying Afrin up someone’s nose!” exclaimed Gage, obviously unaware of how many misadventures can happen in domestic settings. Let’s hope the “ultimate goal” of showing folks they can save a life doesn’t include confusing your nasal spray with someone’s emergency Narcan.

As the CDC releases data that suggests a 10% decline in fatal overdoses, we can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from everyone who’s ever wandered into a drugstore, only to stare blankly at the wall of fearsome-looking medications. Naloxone’s role has morphed into the superhero sidekick for public health efforts fighting the opioid epidemic—like Robin, if Robin had to fight drugs all by himself while everyone else binge-watched reality television.

“People who are reversing overdoses? They’re probably looking at a future of more CPR tutorials than they ever bargained for,” warned Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, not involved in the study but clearly brimming with foresight. Let’s just say the thesis of “practice makes perfect” isn’t just applicable in classrooms.

Unfortunately, not every hero wears a cape, and only a mere 3.4% of those naloxone recipients got the life-saving spray from a layperson—so there’s still room for growth, like a chia pet left in a sunny window. With over-the-counter naloxone finally an option as of September 2023, at a price that’s still as shocking as your bank statement after a night out, one can only hope the public shifts from aversion to proactive life-saving.

Gage maintains that naloxone is a good “just in case” item to have, especially if you know someone who enjoys riding the rollercoaster of addiction—a twisted kind of family planning, if you think about it.

And while barriers still exist to accessing naloxone, like medical fees resembling a small mortgage, and the fact that it’s often more challenging to find than a decent parking spot on a Friday, Dasgupta insists more education is key. Sadly, you can’t save everyone, but you can at least know what’s lurking in those party favors someone offered you down by the bus station.

“Most drug supplies are highly contaminated,” Dasgupta revealed, in a revelation that’s about as shocking as finding out there are calories in cake. By employing drug-checking where users can determine what’s inside their drug sample—yes, that’s a service people would apparently pay for—experience, much like bad relationships, tends to discourage risky behavior, at least until someone reminds them of that free-concert-like giveaway happening around the corner.

In sum, the enlightening findings from recent research can be a guiding light for policies intended to combat the opioid crisis. So, as our society strides toward more heroic laypeople saving lives with their newfound medical skills, let’s raise a glass of overpriced plain seltzer to those brave enough to combat the chaos, one spray at a time.