‘I yelled, “I’m putting this up your nose”’: what it’s like to use Narcan

Four people on using the nostril-based antidote to opioid overdoses, newly approved for over-the-counter sale

Over 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year. Advocates say a vast number of them might still be alive if they'd had access to naloxone. Brandon Kilmer, a 24-year-old from Minneapolis, lost his brother to a fentanyl overdose in 2022. Now, he distributes a pack of Narcan to everyone he meets. I don't care if you're a 17-year-old kid or an 80-year-old grandmother," he said. I want you to have it."

Naloxone, better known by the brand name Narcan, reverses overdoses by binding to the opioid receptors in the brain, blocking the effects of drugs such as fentanyl or heroin. Harm reduction workers say it should be as ubiquitous in Americans' homes as dental floss or hand sanitizer, but not enough people have access to it.