In 2023, Missouri distributed more than a quarter-million doses of Naloxone, to help reverse drug overdoses and save lives.

During a House committee hearing today, Rep. Becky Laubinger, R-Park Hills, asked if the availability of Narcan and Naloxone is backfiring.

“And in talking with neighbors who are drug users, they talked about Narcan has enabled them to have higher highs because they know they can be brought back with Narcan, so they arm their friends with the Narcan and take more drugs to get the higher high,” said Laubinger.

Rachel Winograd, a University of Missouri-St. Louis assistant professor, said she’s been studying whether Narcan and Naloxone enable drug users to use more and in riskier ways.

“If anything, people’s drug use tends to go down. Now, I’m like, ‘Well, why could that be?’ One of the mechanisms that is born out is that people are actually deathly afraid of being revived by Naloxone, because it is a horrific experience. I’ve heard people say they would rather die than be brought back because it precipitates horrific withdrawals,” said Winograd.

Rep. Tony Harbison, R-Arcadia, said Narcan and similar drugs still save lives.

“If it’s a family member, you’re asking for another day. So when we talk about this stuff, that’s what we’re talking about,” he said. “We do have an opportunity to turn things around. So I support things that give us another day.”

Winograd said Missouri is one of the last states that has not yet legalized needle exchange programs.

These programs allow drug users to get clean and unused hypodermic needles and associated paraphernalia at little or no cost. The intent is to prevent disease, such as HIV and Hepatitis.

Winograd said the programs help to reduce drug use because people who use these programs are more than five times more likely to get treatment than those who do not seek needle exchange programs.