Opioids have very helpful outcomes when used in the correct way, but when not, they can be very dangerous and detrimental. Different types of opioids are safe for prescription use such as oxycodone, morphine, and codeine, which are pain relievers. However, some opioids are known for being highly addictive and harmful to the user such as heroin and fentanyl, which have become pretty popular in Albany according to the Albany Police Department.

     Opioids may affect a person’s mood or attitude toward things in a negative matter. This could change relationships with friends or family who you could be close with. 

     One student, “When I was struggling with drug use, I was rude to a lot of people. A lot of the time I didn’t  want to be rude, it was just because that was how the drug changed and affected me,” explains Spencer Cannaday, a student at West Albany who struggled with drug addiction.

     These opioids are often used illegally and dangerously, putting the consumer at the risk of an overdose. An overdose is an excessive and dangerous dose of a drug which may possibly include prescription drugs if taken the wrong way. There has been a somewhat recent anti-overdosing nasal spray called NARCAN. NARCAN is a very significant type of nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose taking a big step for the health industry. 

     “NARCAN is a medication that you can give to people who are overdosing on opioids that will stop the overdose temporarily,” said Teacher Amber Ferguson, who teaches English at West Albany High School. Ferguson said the medication may last a short period of time, being 60-90 minutes, which is why somebody might have to administer multiple doses. These doses can be administered by anyone seeing how this is not a prescription drug. 

     “If somebody who was unconscious and NARCAN was given to them and they ended up not overdosing, it would not harm them and would be better than doing nothing. There is no risk,” Ferguson said. 

     NARCAN is a medication that can be used to save countless lives. Acknowledge that although there are obvious benefits to NARCAN, there are some people that think it could do more harm than good. Some people like Cannaday argued that the access to NARCAN could possibly increase the amount of opioid use present because they would be safer. 

     Ferguson says NARCAN saves lives, not seeing negatives coming from the recent access to NARCAN encouraging it for the community. “I believe that even though it may increase the chances of survival, there is still a good chance of death. It’s not 100% certain you will live. It’s still a gamble,” Ferguson says. She wants everyone to know the risk of opioids and how to possibly save someone’s life. 

     “It’s important to really think about how big an issue opioids are. A lot of the time it’s one of those things that people don’t really think about until it’s directly in front of them or affecting someone they know, and it is really important to consider the dangers of opioids and the significance of NARCAN,” Cannaday explains. For many people it may be easy to disregard issues that seem out of reach or not applicable to them. Learning and understanding that information can be very important when coming up with solutions.