Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

The Surgeon General Just Issued Its First Advisory in 13 Years, This Time to Combat the Opioid Epidemic

The Surgeon General Just Issued Its First Advisory in 13 Years, This Time to Combat the Opioid Epidemic
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

It will save lives.

As the opioid epidemic continues to ravage many Americans, aggressive tactics are being used to fight back. Earlier this month, the Surgeon General issued a statement urging Americans to start carrying the opioid overdose antidote, known as naloxone.

This is the first Surgeon General warning that has been issued in over a decade. The last warning issued referred to drinking during pregnancy.


The drug, which is commonly referred to as Narcan, can very quickly reverse suppressed breathing in an individual suspected of an opioid overdose. Essentially, naloxone puts the drug user into instant withdrawal, as it works quickly to reverse the physical and psychological effects of any opioid.

According to CNN, there has been a precipitous rise in opioid related overdose deaths in the past few years. Since 2010 the number of fatalities has doubled, with 42,249 opioid overdose deaths in 2016.

Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams stated that "knowing how to use naloxone and keeping it within reach can save a life. Research shows that when naloxone and overdose education are available to community members, overdose deaths decrease in those communities."

Naloxone is a powerful tool currently used by police officers, first responders and other emergency medical professionals, and is critical in fighting the deadly opioid epidemic. To have the Surgeon General issue an official warning places opioid abuse and opioid overdose in the mainstream public narrative.

According to CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, naloxone can absolutely save lives.

"You're basically saying, as a doctor, 'I'm giving you this opioid for your pain, and by the way, you might kill yourself, so here's this as well'. The next step in this would be truly defining who is high-risk and should be getting Narcan along with their opioid prescriptions," he said.

Using these medications to reverse the effects of overdose is just one important tool in combating the addiction crisis.

Some have argued that focusing on widespread naloxone distribution grants permission to active addicts to continue to use and abuse drugs. This is part of the destructive stigma surrounding addiction.

Thankfully, a great deal of the social media response to the availability of narcan/naloxone has been positive. Many people are arguing that narcan/naloxone should be widespread and readily available, as a practical method for tackling the crisis.

"The surgeon general is addressing a new reality in a practical way by encouraging people to have access to naloxone and to know when and how to administer it. I equate having naloxone at the ready to having a CPR kit at the ready: Both can save lives as emergency care if administered in time.

No one would find it strange if a surgeon general encouraged more people to learn CPR or the Heimlich maneuver. When we speak of opioid addicts, we need to remember that addiction is a disease. We want addicts to get into recovery, and if they die from an overdose, that can't happen. Keeping them alive long enough for them to make headway with addiction treatment is crucial, and naloxone is often a key component to achieving that goal," said lawyer Jeffrey Simon, in a statement to CNN.

That's the key—overdose medications should not be controversial or optional. In order to promote sobriety and recovery for addicts, we must first save their lives. Narcan/naloxone allows an opportunity to fight this insidious disease head on.

More from Trending

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less