ATLANTA — The overdose reversing drug Narcan is now widely available in Georgia.
In some places, the potentially life-saving drug is even offered at a discounted price or for free.
Channel 2’s Tom Regan spoke to a local pharmacist in Little Five Points who pushed to make the drug more accessible.
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 70% of overdose deaths in Georgia are caused by fentanyl.
But the now wide availability of Narcan is helping to reduce those deaths.
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Pharmacist Ira Katz told Channel 2 Action News that he knows firsthand the drug’s ability to bring people back from the brink of death.
“It’s everywhere now, and it should be,” Katz said. “If I had my way, everyone should have Narcan.”
Katz has been one of the biggest proponents of Narcan access in Georgia, pushing local and state leaders to make it available in schools, libraries and other public places.
“This past weekend, we had a big Inman Park Festival. I brought it down to the first aid station to make sure they have Narcan,” Katz said. “They did not.”
Katz said over the years, he and his staff have rushed to their parking lot or other places nearby to give nasal Narcan to people who have overdosed.
“I knocked on the window, no response. The door wasn’t locked so I opened the door,” Katz recounted. “I checked his pulse, very faint.”
He gave the man two doses of nasal Narcan, saving his life.
“The parents came back the next day to get the car and they said, the parent said, ‘What do I owe you?’” Katz said. “I said you don’t owe me anything.”
Katz gives Narcan away for free. He charges a nominal amount for fentanyl test strips, which can detect the deadly drug in other street drugs.
The pharmacist credited Gov. Brian Kemp for legalizing distribution of the strips in 2022.
“In just a few minutes, you can get the results on whether it is positive or negative for fentanyl,” he said.
Katz has even given Narcan to police and fire departments and urges parents to get it just in case a loved one or someone they know has overdosed.
“I get it for free and I give it away for free,” Katz said.
Katz and other harm reduction advocates are worried that government grants to provide Narcan at a lower cost, or for free, could soon dry up.
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