By Melissa Joseph, KCRA 3
California lawmakers are proposing a bill to require Narcan training as part of CPR certification programs to help reduce overdose deaths and address substance use stigma.
Narcan is a medication used in emergencies to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses, often involving fentanyl. Officials say 9,000 people died from drug overdoses in the state last year.
Lawmakers say the bill would provide more Californians with the tools needed to respond to overdoses and reduce stigma surrounding substance use disorders.
“This bill will turn moments of hopelessness into moments of action by insuring that people who are already trained to respond to cardiac emergencies can also respond to one of the leading causes of accidental death in California,” Rep. Matt Haney said.
“Fentanyl has changed everything. What used to be a survivable overdose can now be fatal in just minutes,” Robb Layne, of the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives, said. “Our providers have watched this crisis evolve in real time and what they are telling us is the window to save a life has never been smaller,”
Officials also noted that many overdoses occur in public places, often in front of individuals who are CPR certified. Lawmakers believe the bill could equip more people to identify an overdose and administer Narcan effectively.