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zebrawithnostripes t1_iy0j7vr wrote

Reply to comment by The_RealKeyserSoze in ELI5: If allergies, and especially anaphylaxis, are so common, why do we still need prescriptions for epi pens and such? by boomokasharoomo

Not that I'm against this, not at all, but one could argue that having the antidote easily accessible would make some people take greater risks. Kindof like if there was a cure for hangover, alcohol abuse might rise.

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The_RealKeyserSoze t1_iy0kzkv wrote

That is usually the argument made by those that oppose narcan use but it has been debunked. Opioid users dont try to OD, but they will use the drugs with or without narcan available to them and doses are not standardized so ODs are inevitable.

There are some correlations like increased ER visits when narcan is used that are often pointed to as an argument against it however that is expected when people are found alive rather than long dead thanks to narcan. Kinda like how helmets increase head injuries, because they are actually preventing deaths.

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