San Diego County could soon have a new weapon in its arsenal to help fight its growing problem with opioid addiction.
“You know how many of these people were getting prescriptions, and they got cut off by their doctor and so they're in pain and they go to the streets to buy substances,” said Smiddy. “I can't tell you how many people that I've seen lose their houses, they end up on the street and they start using methamphetamine just to stay up at night so they're not robbed or assaulted."
"A very large majority of the people who I've engaged with have come back to me after their overdose reversal and told me this has been a life-changing experience," said Tara Buesig-Stamos of Harm Reduction Coalition San Diego. “What this allows is for people to get their lives in a space where they can make those positive changes. They can't do it if they're dead and everybody's life does matter.
Some critics argue providing Narcan enables opioid abusers to continue using without consequences. So we asked Nicole Esposito, San Diego County’s Chief Population Health Officer who's also certified in psychiatry and addiction, if this is the right approach. The Narcan vending machines are part of a larger project to get about 33,000 Narcan kits into the hands of people across the county every year.
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