Imagine you could spend $45 to save someone’s life.
On a good market day, that’s the same you would pay to fill up your sedan’s gas tank. It’s less than a quarter of what a family of four spends on groceries per week. The average American spends about 22 times that much on the Christmas holiday every year. So, would you sacrifice the $45 for a stranger’s life?
I believe that the majority of people, when asked this very question, would within their means commit to that cost without hesitation — especially in a hypothetical world, it’s easy to say, “Absolutely, I would!”
The reality is, this isn’t a hypothetical. In March 2023, the FDA gave each of us this very opportunity. With the approval of Naloxone sales over the counter, Narcan became accessible to each and every one of us at the price point of $44.99.
It can be bought at Target, Walmart and even many of our local grocery stores. It’s easy to store and even easier to use, following the illustrated instructions is as simple as using an allergy nose spray. So why does this matter to us?
ECU Health Medical Center, the hospital that serves my community in Greenville, saw 292 emergency room visits for opioid overdose in 2022 alone, with an astounding 88 deaths recorded. The rate of overdose-related deaths compared to the population here is 30% higher than the state of North Carolina.
These are our neighbors, classmates, coworkers — a life lost may have belonged to the person who helped you at the bank or perhaps the individual who brought your favorite casserole to the last church potluck. It could even be a beloved college football player.
These deaths are also preventable — the success rate for the average person administering Narcan ranges from 75-100% in reversing a suspected overdose. This means that every one of us can change a life with a simple commitment.
The commitment in question is two-fold. The first ask is that we all obtain at least one dose of Narcan to carry with us in our purses, backpacks, briefcases or even temporarily in our cars. It’s a small investment to make but with its direct potential to save someone’s life, it should be an easy decision for each of us.
The second thing I ask is for our community to have the hard conversations. In order for us to be ready to intervene, we need to get more comfortable with the fact that opioid usage continues to rise and that there is no one single profile for someone who uses.
These are friends and family, students and teachers, parents and grandparents. Each of whom deserve the chance to continue living. By committing to removing our own judgements against their right to survive, we will all be ready to help with Naloxone when the time comes.
I leave you with this simple encouragement, don’t wait for this to personally impact you, please engage in the conversation and make the investment. This is why I chose to create a project as an NC Schweitzer Fellow to make access to harm reduction materials easier for our greater community, but my ask is much more simple and straightforward to accomplish.
As Norman B. Rice once said, “Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.”
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