***New Device Can Stop Heroin Overdoses***

A new device was approved by the FDA that could help stop a heroin overdose from happening. The small device is an automatic injector which when activated distributes one dose of a drug called naloxone which is like Narcan. It stops the effects of the opiods in the person's system so that their breathing does not come to a grinding halt.

This new device is made for family and friends of addicts to have on hand in case of an emergency. It does not require any medical training as it just needs to be injected into a muscle and is very user-friendly. It is available by prescription only. The kit that you get with the prescription comes with two syringes that are filled with a single dose of the naloxone and costs around $60.

The company that developed the injector says that it is easy to use and will stop the effects of an OD, essentially pulling the person back from being within minutes of death however that person still needs to be brought to the hospital for treatment. The naloxone just gives them a little more time to get to the hospital.

It makes me sad that things like this have to be developed to stop people from dying, but unfortunately heroin is such a widespread problem that this is just a small way to help reduce the number of deaths from it.

Image from harmreduction.org

Information for the article obtained from CNN.com