Disaster RFK Jr. to End 'Godsend' Narcan Program That Helped Reduce Overdose Deaths Despite His Past Heroin Addiction - You NARCAN’T do that!

https://www.latintimes.com/rfk-jr-e...verdose-deaths-despite-his-past-heroin-581846
https://archive.ph/PTJca
Despite his own history of overcoming heroin addiction, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is backing plans to end a federal Narcan distribution program credited with helping drive a steep drop in U.S. overdose deaths.

Narcan, the widely-used overdose reversal drug, has played a major role in reducing opioid-related deaths, particularly amid the fentanyl crisis.

A $56 million annual grant program through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has funded the distribution of Narcan to first responders across the country, training over 66,000 individuals and distributing more than 282,500 kits in 2024 alone. Recent CDC data shows a nearly 24% drop in overdose deaths for the 12 months ending September 2024, the sharpest one-year decline in decades—an achievement partly attributed to widespread naloxone access.

Speaking at the Illicit Drug Summit in Nashville on Thursday, Kennedy reflected on his personal struggle with addiction and emphasized the importance of community, treatment, and hope in solving the drug crisis, USA Today reported. However, behind the scenes, the Trump administration's draft budget includes major cuts to addiction programs, including the termination of the Narcan grant, according to The Independent.

"Narcan has been kind of a godsend as far as opioid epidemics are concerned, and we certainly are in the middle of one now with fentanyl," Donald McNamara of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. "We need this funding source because it's saving lives every day."

Though Kennedy has previously praised interventions like Narcan as critical to saving lives, he now frames the crisis as one requiring deeper, spiritual and societal change rather than relying solely on "nuts and bolts" medical solutions.

The proposal has drawn swift condemnation from addiction specialists and public health advocates, who warn that cutting Narcan funding could reverse the progress made against overdose deaths. Critics argue that removing life-saving tools while broader societal fixes are slowly pursued would leave vulnerable communities at risk.

While national overdose deaths have declined, experts warn the epidemic is far from over, especially in states still experiencing surges. Ending federal Narcan support could slow or even reverse recent gains.

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[Meat Target]

"No! Not the Get-Out-Of-Consequences-Free card!"

 

[BradeRunna]

I actually agree. Junkies should be allowed to die.

 

[Yugica]

As a eugenicist I support this.

 

[I Hate The Disabled]

If you OD once, you get a Narcane shot. No second chances after that.

 

[Dan Abrams]

Narcan being freely available works. It saved so many addicts in San Francisco so they can continue to shoot up in front of the closed down Whole Foods.

 

[Dr. Ricearoni]

Narcan is a genuine life saving drug. Law abiding people can overdose in just one dose of a prescription narcotic medication if they've never used opiates before and this can buy them time to be saved by medical personnel. Making it over the counter though, that was a mistake. It's something that should be prescribed alongside prescription opiates, held as an emergency medication in rehab centers, and stocked by first responders, not freely available for any junkie who wants it. That being said, most junkies will resent you for administering it because it sends them into basically instant withdrawals when they're revived. Iirc anyway.

 

[Larry David's Opera Cape]

Law abiding people can overdose in just one dose of a prescription narcotic medication if they've never used opiates before

If you take it as directed? Not likely. Unless you know a dentist who is giving some really good scrips for post root canal, in which case, can I have his number?

 

[HarblMcDavid]

Narcan being freely available works. It saved so many addicts in San Francisco so they can continue to shoot up in front of the closed down Whole Foods.

Please, they're not addicts, the proper term is apparently "addiction specialists"

 

[Dan Abrams]

Please, they're not addicts, the proper term is apparently "addiction specialists"

They’re people of addiction.

 

[OrionBalls]

They’re people of addiction.

Please, they're not addicts, the proper term is apparently "addiction specialists"

Addicts call themselves addicts. And self identification is very important, as we all know.

 

[srs bsns]

After seeing fentanyl zombies bent over in pain wandering public streets in droves, it seems like a mercy to let them die. Sucks for the slim percentage of junkies who could've potentially turned their lives around, though.

 

[Delaware 14]

Ahh I see he learned well from Governor Abbott.

 

[Strix454]

$56 million dollars federally per year would amount to probably less than a million dollars per year in most state budgets.

"Narcan has been kind of a godsend as far as opioid epidemics are concerned, and we certainly are in the middle of one now with fentanyl," Donald McNamara of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. "We need this funding source because it's saving lives every day."

The LA county Sheriff's department has a budget of 4 billion dollars per year.

 

[Tanuki Mixed Nuts]

This is another one of those things that sounds harsh, but is necessary. Allowing mentally ill drug zombies to wander around, only to be brought back over and over because we refuse to just let them die, is just a waste of time and resources, as well as attention.

Only argument against harsh FAFO logic would maybe be teens taking their first drugs and dying by fent, but I feel like that is likely a small portion of the people being narc'd back to life.

 

[Grub]

How many people that are now junkies would have maybe had second thoughts before trying fentynyl if narcan hadn't been available? How many of the intense hopeless addicts that are habitual, repeat criminals would be dead right now and no longer a menace to society? The only thing giving junkies free access to narcan has done is save the lives of people who actively detriment society so they can continue to be an active criminal burden on society.

 

[Amateur Shoelace Tyer]

I don't think anybody behind the proliferation of Narcan at the levels we see them at now anticipated that they would be as common of a drug accessory as a lighter. It's essentially just become another piece of litter in the pile of garbage that inevitably consumes whatever areas junkie scum hang out at.

 

[(((Obar Lazcano Kamz)))]

A $56 million annual grant program through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has funded the distribution of Narcan to first responders across the country, training over 66,000 individuals and distributing more than 282,500 kits in 2024

So this seems to not even be alot of narcan per state, seems like it could be reasonably cut and nothing would be affected. The ODs seem to outnumber the narcan they provide so it doesn't really matter. Actually now that i do the math in some states they supply more than the recorded number of ODs for the year.

Still though it can go because narcan isnt essential.

 

[Blewberry Nausea]

Still though it can go because narcan isnt essential.

But but but the Astrophysicists and Doctors!

 

[(((Obar Lazcano Kamz)))]

But but but the Astrophysicists and Doctors!

They can die on the side walk and get swept up by the street cleaning machine.