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Madison Curtis
Professor Tyler
ENG 1201
30 October 2016
Overdose and the Use of Naloxone
9-1-1 whats your emergency?
My mommy wont wake up. said a small voice.
Whats your address, sweetie? the dispatcher asked, her voice filled with anxiousness.
I dont know, my mommy wont get up, replied the voice Im hungry.
Stay where you are Im sending help, the dispatcher said in a panic as she tracked the
call.
Dispatch to all available units in the area of 240 Maplewood Drive, Maplewood
Apartments, respond to Apt 23 referencing a juvenile stating his mother wont wake up, time
advised 14:22. The dispatcher said as she turned back to the phone. Stay on the phone with me
until the police officers get there okay? We are going to help you and your mommy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on average 78
Americans die each day due to drug overdose, and from the year 2000 to 2014 nearly half a
million people died from overdose (CDC). However, not all overdoses are deadly, thanks to a
newer rescue drug known as Narcan. This life-saving drug is credited with reversing more than

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10,000 overdoses from 1996 to 2010 (Stoffers). What is Narcan? How does it work? Why are
people so angered by the growing use of the rescue drug? These are just a few of the questions
that society is asking as the number of overdose incidents increase. Narcan is saving the lives of
drug users daily, but the frequency at which this drug is being used is alarming and we must find
a solution to end this epidemic.
Addiction can be defined as a chronic, relapsing disease of the brain characterized by
compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences from prolonged or excessive
abuse (Merriam-Webster). Addiction is viewed as a disease of the brain because the use of drugs
alters the brains structure and how it works. This is partially why it is so difficult for an addict to
give up their drug of choice, because it is a chemical and physical dependency that goes beyond
free will. There are an estimated 23.5 million Americans who are addicted to drugs and alcohol
(Taylor). Sadly, only 11% of those with an addiction will seek and receive treatment and an
estimated 570,000 people will die from addiction related causes such as illness or overdose
(Taylor).
One of the biggest questions out there is what causes addiction or what makes a person
resort to using drugs. There are many different reasons or ways people become addicted. One of
the most common pathways to drug addiction is prescription painkillers. Prescription painkillers
are fairly harmless when used properly, but they are also very addictive. They are highly
addictive because in order to treat physical pain they alter the brains chemical structure and
function. Normally these drugs are only given for a short period of time and quite often when
someone runs out they may experience withdrawal. Once a person goes into withdrawal much of
the time they become determined to find a way to again reach their high and then turn to cheaper,
and easier to obtain illicit or street drugs. Another major reason people turn to drug use is mental

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trauma or emotional pain. In many cases people do not want to or feel they cannot face the
problems within because it is too painful, therefore it is easier to get high and escape that pain.
An overdose is defined as an excessive or dangerous dose of a drug. Overdoses are not
always deadly, but they still do a great deal of damage to the brain and body. On average,
roughly 1,000 people are treated and released in emergency rooms for overdose each day in the
United States (CDC). When addicts use for extended periods of time their bodys tolerance to
the drug increases causing them to have to take larger amounts to get high. When an addict stops
using, their tolerance to the drug decreases, but when they relapse the user tends to go back to the
same amount they were taking before. Due to the decrease in tolerance to the drug the body
becomes overwhelmed and that is where a vast majority of overdose deaths come from.

Most commonly, overdose victims are found cyanotic, diaphoretic, unresponsive, and
apneic. Cyanosis is the blue discoloration of the skin caused by lack of oxygen in the blood due
to the decrease or absence of breathing. This is dangerous because there are two main types of
tissues which will die and are unable to regenerate themselves without oxygen; those are heart
and brain tissue. Unresponsiveness is caused by the drug itself and its mechanism of action.
Opioids are CNS (Central Nervous System) depressing drugs and this depression drastically
decreases the brains function leading to inability of vital organ systems to be initiated. Apnea is
when a person stops breathing for extended periods of time. All of these effects caused by an
overdose can be life threatening if not reversed soon enough to save brain and heart tissue
(Ratini).
There are several ways to treat overdoses, but the most controversial and commonly used
method is Naloxone (Narcan). Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is an opioid blocker which

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blocks the effects of opioids and therefore reverses the effects. Narcan is mostly given nasally or
intravenously. Due to Narcans mechanism of action it can cause side effects of withdrawal
which vary from drug to drug. When patients are revived with Narcan they go into withdrawal
because their high has been reversed, and the effects are very unpleasant. Often times the person
will develop headaches, nausea and vomiting, cold sweats, and convulsions. Due to the illness
and discomfort withdrawal results in, many users will go out and shoot up again to get rid of the
ill feeling.
The rate at which Narcan is being used is alarming and continues to rise. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention reported that the use of naloxone kits reversed at least 26,463
overdoses between 1996 and June 2014 (CDC). At Boston Medical Center it is estimated that
approximately 30 percent of those revived with Narcan have been revived there more than once
and approximately 10 percent of patients have been revived more than three times (Becker). Due
to these repeat offenders many people are against the use of Narcan because they feel it is only
enabling the addict to continue the behavior, and many claim that since the person made the
choice to do drugs that they alone should have to face the consequences.
The answer to ending drug addiction is not Naloxone, because it is only a temporary fix
to an ongoing epidemic and a larger mental health issue. Naloxone can start to wear off 20 to 30
minutes after it is administered and dissipate entirely after 90 minutes (Seelye). The answer to
ending this epidemic is providing people with proper treatment and resources to get sober and
stay sober. It has been statistically proven that when detox is followed by counseling and mental
health treatment it is more effective and the addict has a drastically lower chance of relapsing.
This is because once the drug is out of their system the pain or reason behind turning to drugs for
an escape is not gone. They have to be able to face that problem and be taught how to deal with

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it in a healthy way. Without providing this phase of treatment to addicts, the effort becomes
useless. It becomes the equivalent of having a flat tire and instead of patching the hole and fixing
the problem at the source; they simply continue to put air in the tire, repeating the cycle of events
until the tire is completely destroyed.
There are many things society can do in order to help with this effort. Raising awareness
so that people can see the true gravity of the problem and truly understand its importance is the
key. The more people that begin reaching out to help addicts instead of shaming them, the more
likely they are to go in search of help for their problem. Educating family members of addicts
and providing access to community resources can be a tremendous asset in combating addition.
Fundraising is another very important piece of this. Many places lack the funds necessary to run
a fully equipped drug treatment facility, and they lack the ability to staff these facilities. By
fundraising and raising awareness we have the ability to change a major portion of the problem.
Whether these people are addicts or not, they are human beings and deserve a helping hand.
Narcan is saving the lives of drug users each day, giving them another chance at life and
sobriety, but the frequency at which this drug is being used is alarming. Narcan is not the
solution to this growing epidemic; it is only a temporary fix. Instead of focusing on the amount
and frequency of Narcan being used, society needs to understand the underlying problem. By
recognizing the root of the problem we can refocus our attention to solving the problem once and
for all. This effort cannot be successful unless we are all able to come together and make a true
concentrated effort. It does not take much time or energy to reach out to people and let them
know you are there, willing to help. They may not be ready for help, or they may not know
where to turn for help, and that is where society plays a big part in helping end this war on drugs.

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I can hear the sirens, the small voice said should I open the door?
Do not open the door yet, wait until they knock so that you know it is them. Ill tell you
when they are there for sure. The dispatcher said as she tried to console the little boy on the
other end of the phone.
Medic 66 is on scene with unit 73, can you advise the caller to let us in? The medic
said.
You can open the door the firefighters and police are there to help you now.
Okay, thank you.
Youre welcome, dear, good luck. The dispatcher said as she heard the call end, and
broke down in tears.

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Works Cited
"Addiction." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2016
Becker, Deborah. Reversing Opioid Overdoses Saves Lives But Isn't A Cure-All. NPR.org. 7
October 2015. Accessed 13 November 2016.
Centers for Disease Control. Opioid Overdose: Understanding the Epidemic. CDC.gov. 21
June 2016. Web. Accessed 22 October 2016
"Narcan (naloxone) Medical Facts from Drugs.com.". Drugs.com. Apr. 2010. Web. Accessed
23 Oct. 2016.
Ratini, Melinda. Naloxone: Reversing Drug Overdoses.. WebMD. 04 April 2016. Web.
Accessed 22 October 2016.
Seelye, Katherine. Naloxone Saves Lives, but is no Cure in Heroin Epidemic.
NYTimes.com. 27 July 2016. Web. Accessed 22 October 2016.
Stoffer, Carl. Narcan: It saves lives. Does it enable addicts?. TheMarshallProject.org. 14
August 2016. Web. Accessed 13 November 2016
Taylor, Kima. New Data Show Millions of Americans with Alcohol and Drug Addiction Could
Benefit from Health Care R. drugfree.com. 28 September 2010. Accessed 13
November

2016

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