Oregon nurses say carry Naloxone, save a life

Nurses at Oregon Health & Science University are encouraging Oregonians to request a prescription for Naloxone on their next visit to a pharmacy or primary care doctor, particularly if they are parents or spending time around young adults.

Oregon has seen a sharp increase in fentanyl-related overdose deaths among young people ages 15 to 19.

Also known as Narcan, Naloxone is the drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. It’s safe and easy to use: You just squirt it up a person’s nose.

Susannah Luhan-Bear, an addiction medicine nurse and a mother of two young adults in their 20s, keeps a dose of Naloxone in the glove compartment of her car, another in her backpack and a third dose on top of her dresser at home.

“My kids know how to use it and they know where it is,” she said. “Honestly, if you live in Portland, Oregon, you don’t know when you might be someone who comes across someone who is overdosing.”

Luhan-Bear said parents may not imagine their child is at risk. But it’s normal for young people to get curious and experiment with drugs, without realizing what they’re trying contains fentanyl.

It’s cheap to manufacture, powerful and addictive. It’s become a common addition to counterfeit pain pills and all sorts of other illicit drugs.

And many fatal overdoses involve bystanders who could help if they’re prepared.