NPR
REVERE, Mass. — Calls to the fire department for suspected drug overdoses are increasingly common in Revere, Mass. The department responded to 16 overdose calls in a single six-day stretch in February.
Revere is not alone. Across the country, communities are reporting a spike in opioid overdoses. And in several states, government agencies and health clinics are working to provide an anti-overdose drug, Naloxone, to as many people as possible. But even as use of the drug is rising, so is its cost.
Revere is one of five Massachusetts communities participating in a state pilot program where emergency responders administer the nasal spray form of the drug, also known as Narcan, to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. There have been more than 2,500 reported overdose reversals in Massachusetts since the program began seven years ago.
Read full story: ‘Magic’ Overdose Drug Works, But Demand And Price On The Rise