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How about I carry a phone so I can call 911 instead?

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Narcan then 911 is the procedure to save lives. If you carry a gun then you should carry Narcan too.

Narcan works instantly.

911 calls get there as fast as they can, but it can take several minutes , which can mean the difference between life and death.

This is a great LPT if you know someone who uses opiates. The problem is many people don't know if someone is a user until they OD.

LPT: life pro tips aren't always just for Americans.

"Naloxone is a prescription-only medicine, so pharmacies cannot sell it over the counter" for the UK

Absolutely this. Most folks don't recognize addiction in people they know and are shocked when someone passes from OD. "They're a stranger and can die" is selfish AF.

There are a ton of programs in the UK (and globally also) that'll give it to you free without a prescription.

Usually reserved only for certain groups of people though. Hostel managers, front line workers, family of drug users etc. Personally, I've never witness someone using opioids and as such cannot get naloxone.

Add: educate yourself on how to administer it, and what to expect once the NARCAN is administered. There may be some potential civil liability if something goes wrong. Check with your local authorities.

ABSOLUTELY! In my area they give you a how to when you get it from the agencies. Good catch.

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Wtf does a gun have to do with drugs?

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I have three on me at all times. I live in a city, never know when you might find someone ODing. But even for myself, despite always testing my drugs for fentanyl, and my dealer always testing our drugs for fentanyl, my dealer just somehow turned up dead of a fentanyl overdose. I wasn’t going to take any chances before, I’m MOST CERTAINLY not going to take any chances now. Even with a negative fentanyl test. If you’re gonna play with fire, be responsible and safe as you can be.

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And get sued because I accidentally injected someone I thought was od’ing but wasn’t? No thanks. I know it’s not dangerous to give narcan to someone who’s not od’ing, but unless you’re trained to recognize an OD and administer narcan, you’re fucked if you fuck up by assuming. Even people who save someone’s life by administering CPR can be screwed over if they accidentally injure the person in the process of saving their life.

That's terrifying. I don't use but work with people in recovery and with the general public. Stay safe.

Or “don’t carry a gun for protection, just call the cops!”

Source on the CPR example? I thought this was the point of Good Samaritan Laws, where a person administering CPR is protected from legal proceedings from cpr injuries (I.e broken rib)

https://www.emergencyfirstresponse.com/good-samaritan-laws-and-cpr/

This is the way.

Yeah… he was a close friend too. And always responsible. It’s shaken me a bit. He was found just after midnight on New Year’s Day during a wellness check. I had just texted him 12 hours before. The autopsy said he had fentanyl in his system but didn’t specifically say it was a fentanyl overdose. I just can’t imagine what else happened… It definitely shook me.

It’s so strange seeing so many comments devoid of empathy. Like we get it, not everyone wants to play the hero card but that shouldn’t mean they deserve to die. Let’s not forget that the U.S. opioid crisis started from a pharmaceutical company claiming that their product is “not addictive” and so many people are struggling to fight their own battles on top of trying to get clean. Also Narcan now comes in a nasal spray configuration.

Yepp, blows me away. It's not just for the person ODing, it's for everyone in their community: their family, their friends, the first responders, the teachers, church members etc. A ton of folks seem to lack the ability to care for anyone other than themselves or to see past the surface level impact.

Please ignore my ignorance, you’re correct that you’re pretty well protected unless you do something with gross negligence or intent to cause injury. I guess just make sure you know what you’re doing, because if you stab a major artery and they bleed out, or you just randomly pound on the person’s chest, that might be considered gross negligence, but I’m not a lawyer obviously

It’s free in Canada.
If you do Narcan someone don’t hover. Step out of range. Many people after having been Narcaned will wake up volatile. It’s a reaction from being high to having that high totally taken away.
So just be aware they can come up swinging.