drugs, PSA
Hey, did you know you can just *get* naloxone? Yeah! In the US, you can just go into pharmacies in most (all?) states and ask for naloxone and get it. There's even a nice piece of paper to help you get NARCAN, a nasal spray version: https://www.narcan.com/static/NARCAN-Prescription-Aid.pdf
Naloxone is *really* useful to have around, especially if you or someone you care for have opioids, as it can reverse the effects of overdose long enough for EMTs to get on scene. Definitely worth having around, just in case.
re: drugs, PSA
@auravulpes Additional useful things:
* If you are comfortable around needles, injectable generic naloxone is way, way cheaper than the name brand spray.
* Read the instructions! They're not hard, but it's the sort of thing you want to at least mentally think through using before you need it.
* Depending on your location, there may be a place that gives out kits for free, especially if you're likely to need it. Search for "free naloxone [city]".
re: drugs, PSA
@auravulpes Oh! Also. When you use naloxone, you're bringing someone off a high *really* fast, and they're not likely to be thrilled. Ideally it doesn't happen but people have been known to lash out even if they wouldn't normally, so be prepared and stay safe.
Finally, the instructions say this but it's worth repeating: if someone overdosed and was unresponsive, you should bring them to the hospital *anyway*: naloxone can wear off faster than opioids, so they're not out of danger.
drugs, PSA
@auravulpes and check for overdose trainings in your local area! nonprofits who put these on often hand out 1-2 doses of naloxone for free when you complete the training!
drugs, PSA
@auravulpes fun fact: this involves having naloxone prescribed to you, which the pharmacist will do, but because everything in the US is dogshit, this can also show up on your medical records and cause later doctors to suspect drug seeking behavior and/or opioid abuse
t. fuck that urgent care dipshit, not like our bloodwork was anywhere near normal and we ended up needing surgery for that kidney stone but no, he was just gonna be a proddy prick
drugs, PSA
BTW, @aschmitz added some wonderful advice onto this that I highly recommend you read. I'd just like to add two more things myself:
1) Not only is injectable naloxone cheaper, but intramuscular injection is generally more effective, so if you're comfortable with IM injections, that's definitely the preferred route.
2) If you ever administer naloxone, you need to get that person into a hospital or otherwise transfer them to emergency care (say, EMTs). It's not a substitute for that.