Time
Distributing naloxone and training people to use it can cut the death rates from overdose nearly in half, according to a new study. Around 15,000 people die each year by overdosing on opioid pain relievers such as Oxycontin, a rate that has more than tripled since 1990. The government has tried numerous strategies to reduce the death toll, including imposing stricter regulations on prescribing the medications, prosecuting owners of “pill mills” who dispense the drugs without proper medical evaluations, and tracking databases to monitor prescribing and discourage “doctor shopping” among addicts.
