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The Deadly Costs of Defunding Narcan

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I lost someone I loved to an overdose. Their death was a devastating loss, a reminder of how far we still have to go in addressing addiction with the urgency and compassion it deserves. Today, under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Trump administration is proposing actions that echo the catastrophic mistakes of the past.


The administration is proposing to eliminate funding for naloxone distribution programs — a critical error that will cost lives. Naloxone, or Narcan, is a medication that can immediately reverse opioid overdoses. According to the CDC, widespread availability of naloxone has been associated with significant reductions in overdose mortality rates (CDC, 2021). Despite this, the Trump administration plans to terminate a $56 million federal grant program that supplies naloxone to first responders (The Independent, 2025).


The consequences are not theoretical. In Travis County, Texas, expanded naloxone distribution led to a 36% decrease in fentanyl-related deaths (KUT News, 2025). Cutting access to this life-saving drug will reverse these gains, resulting in thousands of preventable deaths nationwide.

Narcan is one of the most important public health tools available. It is safe, easy to use, and can be administered by anyone. Similarly, fentanyl test strips empower individuals to detect the presence of deadly fentanyl in substances, dramatically reducing accidental overdoses. These tools save lives every day, yet the administration’s decision to defund harm reduction programs disregards the evidence and the lives at stake.


Simultaneously, the Trump administration is promoting a new anti-drug advertising campaign modeled after Nancy Reagan's infamous "Just Say No" strategy of the 1980s (Reuters, 2024). This kind of black-and-white thinking — portraying drug use as a simple moral failure rather than the complex public health issue it is — has been thoroughly discredited. Decades of research have proven that "Just Say No" and D.A.R.E. campaigns failed to reduce drug use, and in some cases, made matters worse (NPR, 2020).


Addiction is not a simple matter of choice. It is a complex disease influenced by genetic, psychological, and socio-economic factors. Reducing it to a slogan ignores scientific reality and perpetuates deadly stigma. Stigma isolates people, drives them into secrecy, and prevents them from seeking help. It is not merely cruel; it is lethal.


In addition to slashing naloxone funding, the administration has rescinded hundreds of millions of dollars from programs designed to combat opioid addiction and support victims of crime (The Guardian, 2025). These programs were essential to local governments and nonprofits fighting the opioid crisis on the ground. Their abrupt cancellation threatens to unravel years of progress.


Without these grants, community outreach efforts, addiction treatment centers, mental health programs, and syringe service initiatives face collapse. Every grant revoked means fewer services, fewer interventions, and ultimately, more lives lost.


The current policies mirror the tragic legacy of the "War on Drugs," which criminalized addiction rather than treating it as a public health issue. That approach filled prisons but did nothing to address the root causes of substance use. The human cost was staggering, disproportionately harming low-income communities while failing to curb drug addiction rates (Drug Policy Alliance).


Repeating these mistakes, today’s cuts to harm reduction signal a retreat from science and a reversion to policies of punishment over compassion. This time, the consequences will be even graver, as the potency of fentanyl and synthetic opioids far exceeds anything seen during the 1980s and 1990s.


The harsh reality is this: these cuts do not affect the wealthy. They fall hardest on those without insurance, stable housing, or access to expensive private treatment. Naloxone costs more than $100 per kit for uninsured individuals (JAMA Network, 2022), creating a deadly divide where survival becomes a privilege reserved for the affluent.


This is not merely policy negligence. It is a systematic abandonment of vulnerable Americans. It is the weaponization of neglect under the guise of fiscal conservatism. If anyone argues that funding cuts are necessary, they must confront the reality that cutting public health measures like naloxone distribution is not a responsible fiscal choice — it is a death sentence. True fiscal responsibility means investing in programs that prevent crises, save lives, and reduce long-term healthcare and emergency costs. Every dollar spent on harm reduction saves far more in hospitalizations, law enforcement, and lost productivity. Cutting these programs doesn't save money; it shifts the cost to families, communities, and the healthcare system in the most tragic way possible: through preventable deaths.


Voters must understand the stakes. Supporting an administration that prioritizes slogans over science and cuts life-saving programs is not just a political mistake; it is a decision with real, measurable human consequences. Lives will be lost because of these policies.

We must demand better. We must demand public health strategies grounded in compassion, evidence, and a commitment to saving lives — not destroying them.


Support organizations like End Overdose and Overdrive. Advocate for comprehensive harm reduction policies. Hold leaders accountable for decisions that endanger lives. I will be posting more resources, information, and ways we can help each other through this critical time. Please keep checking my website and social media for updates on how we can stay involved and support our communities.


Because the people we love — the people still fighting, still surviving — deserve better than abandonment.


And we owe it to them to fight like hell.


Want to help on a smaller scale?


Even though federal harm reduction funding is being cut, we can still act locally. I’ve launched a petition to require Narcan (naloxone) in all venues and clubs in Washington, D.C. New York City has already set a powerful example with their Nightlife Opioid Antagonist Program, requiring venues to carry Narcan and offering free training through their city health department (NYC.gov).


Sign the petition here: Sign Now


If you can, donate to End Overdose (Donate Here) — your support helps supply Narcan kits and harm reduction training when government funding falls short.


Why this matters: Narcan is still legally available over-the-counter even with federal cuts. Venues can purchase it just like they stock AEDs or first aid kits. Making it a legal requirement protects lives, just like fire extinguishers and emergency exits. NYC has shown this model works — we don’t have to wait for federal action. Every Narcan kit in a public space is one more chance to save a life.


This is a small step, but small steps build real change. Let's fight for a safer, more compassionate D.C. — one venue, one life at a time.



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