OHIO — A recent study by Ohio State University College of Medicine and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians shows naloxone is gaining ground among Americans. 

What You Need To Know

  • Naloxone is a drug used to reverse opioid overdoses 
  • Individuals getting naloxone from people without medical training increased by 43% between 2020-2022
  • Researchers found that males in urban areas between the ages of 25-34 received the drug the most
  • According to OSU, 46 states and the District of Columbia give legal immunity to those who help people facing opioid overdoses
  • More about the study can be found here

Dr. Ashish Panchal is clinical professor of Emergency Medicine and the medical director at the Center for Emergency Services at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

“More and more every day, lay people are responding to the opioid crisis. And probably the biggest surprise for us is how much has increased over the last couple of years," he said.

This while there’s been a concerted effort to bring awareness to the opioid crisis over the last 10 years and to make sure people can provide naloxone even if they’re not medically trained. 

Based on the study, researchers found a 43% increase in the use of naloxone by people facing overdoses as non-medically trained people provided it. The largest group on the receiving end turned out to be males in urban areas.

The thought is that these are “areas which are most hard hit by our opioid epidemic,” Panchal said. Yet, with the help of non-medically trained people, Panchal believes it will save even more lives as more people learn how to use it.