opioid overdose

Overdose deaths among teenagers have skyrocketed in the last few years due to opioids like fentanyl. Experts say drug education that focuses on harm reduction, an approach that focuses on safety rather than abstinence, could help save lives. Here's how to start the conversation with young people and how to respond in an emergency.

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The FDA has approved over-the-counter sales of Narcan, a nasal spray version of the life-saving medication naloxone. The medication is known for its ability to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.

The FDA's move will make Narcan more widely available than ever before. But experts say this is just one step in the right direction, when it comes to preventing overdose deaths.

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at the University of North Carolina who has been studying opioid overdose prevention and addiction treatment since 2002, about what this means for the opioid epidemic.

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