*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).
This week's episode of Cheddar's Crypto Craze tackles the latest news and trends in this emerging market. Dropbox files to go public. The dow closes the week up more than 300 points. TV personality Kelly Killoren Bensimon is out with a fur slipper line.
Hanneke Weitering, staff writer at Space.com, discusses SpaceX's launch of the Falcon 9 rocket that carried a Spanish imaging satellite and two demo Starlink broadband test satellites. With this technology, SpaceX hopes to provide high speed, low cost energy across the globe.
Weight Watchers is getting slammed after offering a free membership promotion for teenagers. Project Heal's Kristina Saffran joins Cheddar to discuss the effects early dieting can have on young people's health and wellness.
Cody Gough, podcast host at Curiosity.com, discusses new studies that reveal why we may not want to be around people when we're sick. He also describes the physical characteristics that tell people when we're feeling under the weather.
I-han Chou, senior editor at Nature, discusses a new study about adolescence and how that period of your life influences adulthood.
Concerns over electronics' batteries overheating and potentially exploding have been circling for some time, reaching a head with Samsung's massive recall of its Note Seven phones. That is why KULR Technologies has created technology that protects batteries and material for everything from electric cars to NASA spaceships.
Facebook is back under the microscope for failing to stop the spread of fake news. Sara Fischer, media reporter for AXIOS, joins to explain how the big tech companies are, or are not, addressing the problem.
Extreme weather across the nation this week. New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. experiencing record high temperatures. Meanwhile, parts of Washington state and Denver are seeing record lows. Mashable's Andrew Freedman explains how the polar vortex split is causing wild weather coast to coast.
Temperatures in Washington, D.C., hit 82 degrees on Wednesday, while the West Coast braced for record lows. Andrew Freedman, senior science editor at Mashable, says a "polar vortex split" is partly to blame.
On Between Bells: Talking to kids about gun violence, Dallas Mavericks under fire, restaurant servers fight tip-pooling laws, and more. With Eater, Parents Magazine, and Popular Science.
