*By Christian Smith*
After an overdose earlier this week, Demi Lovato's life was reportedly saved by Narcan, a nasal administrator of naloxone that counteracts the effects of opioids. When administered quicklyーthrough either nasal mist or injectionーnaloxone can temporarily halt an overdose, allowing EMTs enough time to respond. The medication is available without a prescription in 49 states, and the generic version costs about $20 per dose.
But all merits aside, is the drug's accessibility enabling addicts to push their limits?
Dr. Roger Crystal, the lead inventor of Narcan and CEO of Opiant Pharmaceuticals, says there's little evidence to support that concern.
"Addiction like any kind of chronic disease is something you can control using better medication, but ultimately you can't cure," Crystal told Cheddar. "To think about an opioid addict behaving rationally and saying, 'well because I have access to Narcan I'll shoot more heroin, inject more heroin' there's no proof for that whatsoever."
Naloxone is considered some of the best ammunition on the front lines of America's growing opioid epidemic. A reported 2 million Americans have an addition to opioidsーand the number isn't going down. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams [issued an advisory](https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/priorities/opioid-overdose-prevention/naloxone-advisory.html) in April urging anyoneーand their close family and friendsーwho uses painkillers, heroin, fentanyl, or other opioids to carry naloxone in case of an emergency.
Crystal isn't stopping at Narcan: he told Cheddar he's also developing a heroin vaccine, suggesting the inventor has lofty ambitions for the future of overdose prevention.
Although Crystal may be aware of lingering ethical concerns, he doesn't think they dwarf his mission. After all, Lovato has him to thank.
"Putting it in the hands of everyone and anyone is critical," Crystal said.
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-one-pharmaceutical-company-is-fighting-the-opioid-epidemic).
Maisie Devine, global director for Anheuser-Busch InBev's 100+ Accelerator, said the incubator will focus on nurturing sustainable start-ups, as the alcohol giant commits to reducing its own emissions by 25 percent.
An unknown malfunction prompted an emergency landing of a Russian rocket, with the American astronaut and Russian cosmonaut on board both found safe. Sarah Lewin, an editor at Space.com, said these events are rare but astronauts train extensively for them.
The markets looked to recover from a major sell-off on Wednesday. The Dow closed down more than 800 points. The Florida Panhandle is reeling after Hurricane Michael tore through the region causing catastrophic damage. And Razer launched a handful of new products, including the Razer Phone 2, to make gaming more accessible. Kevin Allen joins Cheddar to explain what makes the products stand out in the gaming world.
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Hurricane Michael strengthened to a Category 4 overnight as it barrels towards the Florida Panhandle. AccuWeather predicts the hurricane will cause $30 billion in damage. SoftBank is reportedly in talks to take a majority stake in WeWork. Plus, Cheddar's Alyssa Julya Smith chats with actor Caleel Harris about what to expect from the upcoming 'Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween' movie and his role in Ava DuVernay's 'Central Park Five' TV series.
Hurricane Michael strengthened into a monster Category 4 storm overnight, tracking for a Wednesday afternoon landfall near Panama Beach, Fla. Joel Myers, founder and president of AccuWeather, explained the specific dangers of this storm for the southeast.
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Hurricane Michael has strengthened to Category 2 hurricane as of Tuesday and could ramp up to Category 3 by the time it makes landfall in Florida Wednesday. Eric Holthaus, meteorologist and writer for Grist, said the storm is likely to be the worst to hit the Panhandle in decades.
Acclaimed music producer, DJ, and entrepreneur Steve Aoki is dipping his toe into comic books. At New York Comic Con Aoki debuted 'Neon Future,' his comic debut.
A landmark report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Monday warned that there could be irreversible damage caused by climate change in as little as 12 years. Andrew Freedman, science reporter at Axios, said the effects of this could be even hotter heat waves, sea-levels rising that could wipe out coastal cities, food shortages, and more.
