Earlier this month Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a bill that will help people who are suffering from substance-use disorders and those who love them. Naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote that can be administered by nasal spray, will be available without a prescription to all NJ residents by the end of the summer. Naloxone is also known as Narcan.

This antidote will be available at pharmacies throughout the state. In Hopewell Valley it is available at the Walgreens and Shop Rite pharmacies. Anyone who might have a need to use naloxone can now have it on hand for emergencies.

Naloxone works by binding to the same receptors in the body that opioid drugs target, locking their access and reversing the effects. It can restore the respiration of someone whose breath has slowed down or stopped completely, and it works very quickly. It’s important to know that this drug will have no effect on someone who did not need the drug, so it’s safe to administer if you think someone has overdosed on opioids but aren’t sure. 9-1-1 should always be called after naloxone has been administered.  

More information can be found on the NJCares webpage.

A tutorial on how to administer naloxone can be found on the Narcan website.