A surprising announcement from the Surgeon General shows how serious this country's opioid epidemic has become.
Jerome Adams is urging the use of an emergency drug called Narcan.
And local paramedics say it's the right thing to do.
"If you or someone you know is at risk for an opioid overdose, buy and know how to use naloxone. An easy to use lifesaving medicine that can reverse the effects of an overdose."
Naloxone is another name for Narcan.
A simple nasal spray can quickly stop an opioid overdose.
"My opinion, would be to distribute it because its a lifesaving drug," says Steve Blados, a paramedic who sees too many opioid deaths, "God, it's hard to say, a big number thats for sure."
Narcan is generally safe even if given to a healthy person on accident.
Narcan costs anywhere from 70 to 100 dollars a dose without insurance.
And no prescription is needed.
But if you ever have to use it on someone, Blados says, "They still need to go to the emergency room and be monitored for 6-10 hours because one dose can last a short time and they can be back in the same boat 20 minutes later."
If you buy Narcan, make sure it's in the nasal delivery system.
You should avoid buying the drug in liquid form that needs to be injected.
