美国国家公共电台 NPR--Advocates for addiction treatment say Narcan should be made available everywhere

Advocates for addiction² treatment say Narcan should be made available everywhere

Transcript³

NPR's Michel Martin talks to William Jawando, a councilmember in Montgomery County, Md., and activist⁴ Laura Mitchell, about the impact of the FDA's approval of over-the-counter sales of Narcan.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Not long ago, in Montgomery County, Md., a teenager used Narcan to save the life of another teen found unconscious from an overdose in a McDonald's restroom. It's what passes for a positive outcome in the opioid epidemic⁵ that's gripping the U.S. Our colleague Michel Martin saw that story and decided⁶ to talk to people in Montgomery County who are coping with the crisis firsthand.

MICHEL MARTIN, BYLINE⁷: The school year is almost over in most of the country, and there have been many milestones⁸. But some of them, unfortunately, have been tragic⁹ ones.

WILL JAWANDO: We already, this school year, lost five young people to overdose deaths. Ninety percent of the overdoses that happen are happening in bathrooms in schools.

MARTIN: That's Will Jawando, a council member in Montgomery County, Md., which is just outside the nation's capital. He's been hosting public forums¹⁰ on fentanyl and other opioids that are now at the center of the worst drug crisis in U.S. history. That's one reason the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now decided that naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, can be sold over the counter. Jawando says Narcan should be available everywhere.

JAWANDO: It makes sense, as a public safety measure, to have all of our public security guards carry Narcan, but also to have it available at various places for teachers to access. There's a big discussion now of whether students should be carrying it as well.

MARTIN: I wanted to know firsthand about the experience, so I called Greg Hill (ph), who has both received and administered lifesaving doses of Narcan. We also spoke¹¹ with his mother, Laura Mitchell. She co-founded the group Montgomery Goes Purple to try to intervene in this epidemic of injury and death caused by substance abuse. She says opioids are more dangerous now than ever before because they include a higher content of unknown substances in the mix.

LAURA MITCHELL: We've seen a rise from about 20% of discarded materials from people who use substances containing xylazine to - now it's 80% in two years. It doesn't respond to naloxone. So if you overdose with it - and it can kill you - naloxone's not going to help.

MARTIN: Greg, do you mind if I ask you about your story?

GREG HILL: My first drug use was 12 or 13. My first opiate use was at 15. It just progressed over time. At the end, I was using alone. I didn't have any friends. Nobody trusted me. Nobody wanted me around. And it was miserable¹².

MARTIN: How did you get them?

HILL: Meeting people on the street. My first drug dealer¹³ was a doctor.

MARTIN: Really?

HILL: I got injured when I was 15 and was prescribed opiate medication for the pain. That became a habit by itself.

MARTIN: How did you realize you had a problem?

HILL: It became very apparent to me by not being able to hold down work, not being able to show up for family commitments, not being able to be trusted by family members. Because, you know, at a point, I started getting my next one by any means necessary. I was trapped, and I felt like I needed it. But I didn't know how to stop.

MARTIN: And, Laura, what about you? How did you realize that Greg had a problem?

MITCHELL: I remember the moment like I remember 9/11. Greg was watching the "War On Drugs" series on the History Channel. They talked about naloxone and symptoms of overdosing on opiates and the nodding off - like, sitting there having a conversation, and their head just drops and they seem to, like, have a micro nap. I recognized that. It was very frequent. And I was like, oh, my gosh. It started clicking. And I thought, it's July; he's wearing long sleeves. Where are my spoons going? Why do I keep finding pen barrels without the pen in them?

MARTIN: How old was he then?

MITCHELL: Oh, probably 19.

MARTIN: Did you have any close calls where you thought you might die?

HILL: Oh, yes, several. I actually have been administered Narcan before. I owe my life to that drug 'cause it brought me back.

MARTIN: Who administered it when it happened?

HILL: I was using with another using buddy¹⁴ of mine and put it in me. And he said I didn't even take two steps, and I just fell flat on my face. And he freaked out and called our friend that was a couple of houses down. And she administered two doses of Narcan to me.

MARTIN: Wow.

HILL: And the second one brought me back, but I was still experiencing the high from it, which leads me to believe, like, it may have been fentanyl or something that was in it because it was nearly overpowering the Narcan after two doses.

MARTIN: Some people aren't coming back from this. And I'm just wondering, how long has this been a thing?

HILL: If an addict¹ hears, hey, so-and-so just copped something from over there and it killed him, he OD'd, he died, the addict mind says, man, that must be really good. Let me go get that. I just won't use as much as he did, and I'll be OK. But it'll get me where I want to be. If you made a car that the brakes didn't work on, you kill somebody, like, that car is not going to sell very good. But if you make a drug that kills somebody, it sells more. That's the insanity¹⁵ of addiction.

MARTIN: I understand that you've been sober now for about 7 1/2 years. How did you get a hold of it?

HILL: The jail system, even though I am opposed to it. I had been in and out of jail a few times because of my use. And, you know, having the time away gave me the time that I needed to get everything out of my system and to have a clear mind and be able to decide for myself and not have the drug decide for me or the court systems or my family or anybody. But for me, what do I want to do with my life? You have to be ready to quit. You have to want to quit.

MARTIN: Laura, what's your take on this?

MITCHELL: He's spot on. Obviously, he lived it, so he sees it. We don't have the treatment facilities that operate the way they need to. We still don't. We certainly didn't then. You might get seven or 10 days from the insurance in a treatment facility, and that's not enough. It takes two years for the brain to heal from opioids and what they do to it.

MARTIN: What do you think would make a difference in addressing this?

MITCHELL: We have to go back upstream, focus more on the mental health, identifying and dealing¹⁶ with trauma¹⁷ as kids, especially. If we mitigate¹⁸ those adverse¹⁹ childhood events, we will reduce the substance use and worsening mental health conditions that often lead to self-medicating and numbing²⁰.

MARTIN: That is Laura Mitchell. She's the co-founder of Montgomery Goes Purple. That's a coalition²¹ that seeks to minimize the harm from substance abuse disorder²². And we also talked to her son, Greg Hill, who has personal experience with this. Thank you both so much for talking with us today.

MITCHELL: Thank you.

HILL: Thank you.

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1 addict   

v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人

参考例句：

• He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
• He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。

2 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

5 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 milestones   

n.重要事件( milestone的名词复数 )；重要阶段；转折点；里程碑

参考例句：

• Several important milestones in foreign policy have been passed by this Congress and they can be chalked up as major accomplishments. 这次代表大会通过了对外政策中几起划时代的事件，并且它们可作为主要成就记录下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dale: I really envy your milestones over the last few years, Don. 我真的很羡慕你在过去几年中所建立的丰功伟绩。 来自互联网

9 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

10 forums   

讨论会； 座谈会； 广播专题讲话节目； 集会的公共场所( forum的名词复数 )； 论坛，讨论会，专题讨论节目； 法庭

参考例句：

• A few of the forums were being closely monitored by the administrators. 有些论坛被管理员严密监控。
• It can cast a dark cloud over these forums. 它将是的论坛上空布满乌云。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

13 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

14 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

15 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

16 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

17 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

18 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

19 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

20 numbing   

adj.使麻木的，使失去感觉的v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Watching television had a numbing effect on his mind. 看电视使他头脑麻木。
• It was numbing work, requiring patience and dedication. 这是一种令人麻木的工作，需要有耐心和忘我精神。 来自辞典例句

21 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

22 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。