Narcan: A Million Lives Worth Saving

Every five minutes an American dies from an opioid or fentanyl overdose. An FDA panel is recommending Narcan be sold over the counter, which experts say would reverse more overdoses and save more lives. Andy traces the line between opioid prescriptions, heroin, fentanyl, and tranq with Scott Hadland, a pediatrician and addiction specialist at Mass General Hospital, and Sarah Laurel, who overcame her own struggle with substance use disorder to eventually found an addiction recovery nonprofit in Philadelphia. They discuss whether the problem is getting better or worse, how to reduce stigma, and where to direct opioid overdose settlement funds. Keep up with Andy on Twitter and Post @ASlavitt. Follow Dr. Scott Hadland and Sarah Laurel @DrScottHadland and @sarah.laurel.517. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.    Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/    Check out these resources from today’s episode:  Learn more about the FDA panel’s recommendation to approve over-the-counter naloxone: https://www.statnews.com/2023/02/15/naloxone-otc-opioisa-fda-panel-recommends/ Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices