Senate Approves Expanded Use Of Overdose Fighter Naloxone

WBAA | By Brandon Smith

Published February 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM EST

Last year, the General Assembly approved a bill allowing emergency medical technicians and first responders to use naloxone, a drug used to halt the effects of an overdose from drugs such as heroin.

Sen. Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis) says naloxone saves lives, and its success last year led to this year’s bill, which allows anyone to get a prescription for the drug.

“Go to the pharmacy, get the prescription, have it on their person, and possibly save the life of an addict in their house or someone on the cul-de-sac, in their community,” Merritt says.

The bill cleared the Senate on a 50-0 vote. It now heads to the House.

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Brandon Smith

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.

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