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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[Soyjak Enjoyer]

Now it's gonna be like the arcade when you got 10 seconds to put another quarter in or the EMT lets you die

 

[Throng of Titans]

Narcan is amazing, but the problem is that junkies are using it to go back from the brink so they can keep shooting up, rather than make some serious life choices and avoid what brought them to the brink in the first place.

Also any private individual who keeps Narcan around is not to be trusted, ignore any claims of them being a good samaritan or whatever, they're either a junkie or someone who surrounds themselves with junkies.

 

[Gregis]

I just realized something: "despite his past heroin addiction". But...did he ever OD, let alone use narcan? If not, then you can't exactly call him a hypocrite. He's a good role model for addicts.

 

[mold]

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

yes

there is absolutely zero reason this can't be handled by the states

 

[Dan Abrams]

I just realized something: "despite his past heroin addiction". But...did he ever OD, let alone use narcan? If not, then you can't exactly call him a hypocrite. He's a good role model for addicts.

He quit without second and third and fourth chances being available. They’re being like ozempic addicts shitting on someone who lost weight the normal way.

 

[robobobo]

There're some people who had a stupid moment and got into some shit they shouldn't've, make a mistake, OD. I'm glad the drug exists to save these people and hope that the event gives them motivation to get clean and do better. Then there're the people who have degenerated into living burdens to everything around them, and I would not shed tears if the drug is no longer around to be provided to them. Let them go out the way they clearly want to.

 

[Sweeter and Savoury]

Look if you need Narcan more then once in your life chances are your going to die of an overdose

if not today then tomorrow. Anyone relying on Narcan to keep them going is a hopeless addict who will overdose and sooner or later that Narcan won't be there in time.

Once you give into the drugs it's pretty much a straight line too death unless you happen to be rich and or famous. The average junkie on the street has a life expectancy of less then 5 years on average.

 

[Damocles_Sword]

Narcan is amazing, but the problem is that junkies are using it to go back from the brink so they can keep shooting up, rather than make some serious life choices and avoid what brought them to the brink in the first place.

Also any private individual who keeps Narcan around is not to be trusted, ignore any claims of them being a good samaritan or whatever, they're either a junkie or someone who surrounds themselves with junkies.

They sent my dad home with the good stuff after his accident, they threw in a couple of doses of narcan as a just in case and told me to monitor him for a few days.

That said I'm glad to see them finally starting to do something about narcan, it's by far the deadliest drug on the streets.

 

[Google.com]

But what are we going to give cops when they have a panic attack after hearing Fentanyl might be within 1 mile of their location?

 

[OrionBalls]

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.

I'm sorry that I have to disagree with you on this point. There comes a horrible moment in addiction where people lose everything that was once themselves. They should be offered help, actual help, but rehab is not cheap, IOP is not cheap, and insurance doesn't want to pay for junkies. Better to keep them sick and line their pockets. No, not everyone recovers. I weep for them and their families.

 

[Grub]

I'm sorry that I have to disagree with you on this point. There comes a horrible moment in addiction where people lose everything that was once themselves. They should be offered help, actual help,

Offering help is useless if they don't want to stop doing drugs. You can offer or provide all the help in the world but if a person doesn't want to stop they won't. A lot of them don't actually want to stop.

but rehab is not cheap, IOP is not cheap, and insurance doesn't want to pay for junkies. Better to keep them sick and line their pockets. No, not everyone recovers. I weep for them and their families.

Rehab isn't enough. Recovering addicts need years of support even after becoming clean. A lot of overdose deaths with fentynyl happen after going through a recovery center. Relapses are deadly with fentynyl.

 

[marvlouslie]

This seemed appropriate. So I'll just leave this here.

 

[Bland Crumbs]

The descent into a nation of gambling addicts and junkies is kind of crazy.

 

[William Murderface]

There're some people who had a stupid moment and got into some shit they shouldn't've, make a mistake, OD. I'm glad the drug exists to save these people and hope that the event gives them motivation to get clean and do better. Then there're the people who have degenerated into living burdens to everything around them, and I would not shed tears if the drug is no longer around to be provided to them. Let them go out the way they clearly want to.

Stupid is supposed to hurt. And it isn't like there hasn't been a ton of information about the dangers of drugs out there all these years. This isn't pot or beer some teenager is trying for the first time. If someone is dumb enough to smoke meth or fentanyl, and ODs? Oh well.

 

[deleuzeon]

If I had an addict or former addict in my family I'd keep some around, it really is a miracle drug. But as many have said, emergency responders carrying it has only worsened the drug problem by removing friction from the addict lifestyle.

 

[Jimjamflimflam]

A drop in overdose death means jack shit if the addict is still using. I don't give a fuck that the life of a junkie was saved if it just means another day for them to live on the street engaging in pretty crime to support their addiction.

 

[VargReallyDidNothingWrong]

Good. I wish every degenerate druggie a happy dying in the street like a rabid dog

 

[Clotso Coof]

Donald McNamara of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. "We need this funding source because it's saving lives every day."

No one is stopping Los Angeles from buying their own Narcan. Why do taxpayers in South Dakota need their federal money sent to Narcan a bunch of junkies in LA?

 

[William Murderface]

No one is stopping Los Angeles from buying their own Narcan. Why do taxpayers in South Dakota need their federal money sent to Narcan a bunch of junkies in LA?

The same reason taxpayers in New Hampshire need to pay for any number of programs in New Mexico or the taxpayers in New York need to send their money to DC just so it can be sent back to New York. Because that way it looks like Congress is doing something and you'll send your representative and Senators back again and again and again.

 

[Collections Agent]

Honestly it's a cruel thing to say but those addicts abusing drugs and Narcan aren't just hurting themselves but everyone around them, and some people are just lost without literally forcing them to rehab.

If you let people OD over and over again without consequences not only are you letting them do whatever they want, you're encouraging illegal drug sales, which usually also leads to violent crime both from druggies who want drug money and the dealers themselves.

If you remove the druggies off the streets either by making it legal to mandatorily commit them to rehabs or just let nature take it's course, society in the surrounding area will likely improve dramatically