As a therapist who works with a high-risk population with strong ties to recovery communities, I am intimately connected to the reality of the lethality of mental illness and addiction and am heartbreakingly aware that some families didn’t spend the holidays with their loved ones due to opiate overdose.

In the same way that folks with bee allergies carry EpiPen, so should folks who misuse or deal opiates carry Narcan. Narcan is a nasal spray form of naloxone, a medicine that temporarily reverses the effects of opiate overdose. This allows a person time to receive emergency services. If you have a loved one misusing opiates, I would encourage you to keep Narcan on your person or in your residence and gift Narcan to your loved one struggling with substance misuse.

Most states have passed laws to increase access to Narcan, so you can now buy it from your local pharmacy without a prescription. I did this a few months ago to see what the experience was like and it was pretty routine. It cost a $127 for a two-dose pack and my insurance covered one dollar. That price is at the upper end of the spectrum— it’s typically available anywhere from $50- $100. People actively misusing drugs and/or their family members may be concerned about encountering prejudice due to stigma, which is a real possibility.

If fear of prejudice or cost is getting in the way of obtaining Narcan, some states have organizations that provide Narcan anonymously and/or for free. In Georgia, an organization called Georgia Overdose Prevention provides Narcan to anyone who requests it through their website, email, or their Facebook page. They provide trainings on how to administer the spray and so does and this YouTube video. The folks at Georgia Overdose Prevention also directed me to a non-profit called NEXT- Distro, an online and mail-based harm reduction platform seeking to provide resources, support, and supplies to people who use drugs. They provide naloxone to communities without access and can help you find resources in your community. If you’re still feeling squirrelly, I can get you in touch with these organizations or I’ll just get Narcan for you.

Beyond getting naloxone into the hands of folks who are most at risk, Georgia Overdose Prevention also seeks to educate the public about GA’s 911 medical amnesty law. More and more states are passing medial amnesty laws to encourage folks to call emergency services in the event that someone is overdosing. These laws protect the caller and the victim from being arrested, charged, or prosecuted for small amounts of drugs, alcohol, or drug paraphernalia if the evidence was obtained as a result of seeking medical assistance. Not all states have these laws, so check this list to see if your state has these protections.

People may have objections to making Narcan widely accessible. This NPR podcast explores how more readily available anti-overdose medications may encourage people take greater risks with their misuse, but that’s not a compelling point to withhold life-saving medication IMO. In NEXT- Distro’s FAQ they say, “We believe everyone who uses drugs should have the resources and ability to keep themselves as safe and as healthy as possible. This includes physical and emotional health.”

Yes, yes, and yes. Until our justice system and medical institutions provide treatment and compassion instead of punishment and stigma, I’ll want to utilize absolutely every tool and strategy possible to give someone one more day to try to recover.