The Wire

Deaths from prescription medications, in particular pain killers, are on the rise. During International Overdose Awareness Week in August the Penington Institute was just one organisation hosting a community event to help make people aware that lethal drug overdoses don’t just come from heroin. Many people are using prescription opiates, that when combined with alcohol or other drugs can suddenly cause death. Naloxone (or Narcan) can quickly reverse the effects of heroin and opiates, but if it were to be administered more quickly and was more readily available, it would save lives and incidence of severe brain damage could also be reduced.