By Brian Mann, NPR
White House officials say more than 250 companies, universities, labor groups and other organizations have joined a national effort to reduce drug overdose deaths. They’ve agreed to stock free doses of the medication naloxone, also known as Narcan, that quickly reverses most fentanyl-opioid overdoses.
The list of participants joining the national naloxone push includes major corporations like Amazon, the National Hockey League, and United Airlines as well as some universities. Labor and contractor organizations have also signed on, along with restaurant and hospitality trade groups.
“From airlines to classrooms, from offices to sports arenas, we are grateful to have hundreds of voluntary commitments from organizations and businesses across the country,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, the Biden administration’s drug czar, in a statement Tuesday morning.
According to the White House, Amazon will position naloxone medications at work sites that employ more than 500,000 workers. The NHL is encouraging teams to include naloxone in the medical kits kept on hand at hockey stadiums around the U.S.
The announcement comes as fatal overdoses have seen the biggest improvement ever recorded, with drug deaths declining by roughly 10% over the last 12 months, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some experts believe the spread of naloxone is contributing to that decline. Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter sale of Narcan without a prescription.
White House domestic policy advisor Neera Tanden said in a statement the federal government hopes to see naloxone available in “as many homes, workplaces and communities as possible.”
In recent years, fatal overdoses spiraled upward, with roughly 110,000 drug deaths reported in 2023. Most of those deaths were caused by fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that’s often mixed with other toxic chemicals.
Beginning in late 2023, the number of fatal overdoses began to decline sharply. Drug policy experts say the improvement appears to be accelerating in 2024, with drug deaths in some states, including Missouri and Ohio, down by more than a third.
Naloxone is considered to be one possible cause, but researchers say they’re not yet sure why the hopeful shift is happening or how long it will last. Other factors may be the wider use of opioid treatment medications Suboxone and methadone and a reported disruption of the illicit street fentanyl supply in some parts of the U.S.
Public health officials have celebrated the decline in deaths, but also note that fatal overdoses remain high. Some demographic groups — including Black men, older Americans, and Native Americans — have actually seen increases in drug deaths in 2024.
In his statement, Gupta said the U.S. “must double and triple down on our efforts now more than ever” to help people survive the opioid crisis.
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