December 6th, 2017 by WCBC Radio
As the number of opioid overdoses has skyrocketed in the U.S., so has the price of the drug that can wake someone up from a situation. And in some cases, the rising prices make it hard for first responders and others to carry naloxone which public health experts say threatens their ability to save lives. Public health experts say having naloxone in the hands of first responders — from firefighters to police officers — is vital; it can provide precious minutes before more medical help can arrive. Delegate Mike McKay says that unfortunately- the opioid addition is so strong- there have been cases locally of addicts continuing to use opioids on the very day they were revived from a near fatal overdose. As a result there are times when first responders are returning several times a day to treat the same individual…
