DENVER - A growing number of jails and prisons across the country are training soon-to-be-released inmates to use a drug that reverses heroin overdoses, either to save others and sometimes themselves.
The nasal spray known as naloxone or Narcan has become a key tool in curbing deaths in the nation's opioid-abuse epidemic.
Supporters say the opportunity to save potentially thousands of lives outweighs any fears that the promise of a nearby antidote would only encourage drug abuse. Officials already widely distribute the drug to police, paramedics, drug users and their families.
The push to equip inmates with the antidote is new, fueled by research showing former prisoners in Washington state were nearly 13 times more likely to die of an overdose in the two weeks after their release than other people.
