HealthWatch As overdose deaths fall, Trump administration proposes cuts to lifesaving Narcan program

​By Kerry BreenEdited By Kierra FrazierMay 8, 2025 / 5:21 PM EDT / CBS News

The Trump administration has proposed cutting a $56 million grant that teaches first responders how to use the lifesaving overdose reversal drug naloxone, which experts say could reverse progress the United States has made in lowering opioid overdose deaths. 
A recent dip in overdose deaths has been credited in part to wider naloxone access. The medication was made available for over-the-counter purchase in 2023 and is standard for first responders to carry. It's even popped up in some classrooms. 
Naloxone, also sold under the brand name Narcan, is available in injectable and nasal spray form. It is an opioid antagonist that attaches to receptors in the brain, reversing and blocking the effects of other opioids, including fentanyl. 
The grant money can be used by state and local organizations for training people on how to use naloxone, as well as administering and distributing the medication. Grantees are expected to establish protocols to refer patients to treatment or support services and provide other safety information about illicit drugs and overdoses. The grant is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 
"While some skeptics may think that naloxone - and harm reduction more generally - enable people, there is decades of research that show giving people the information and tools they need helps keep people safe," medical anthropologist Jennifer Syvertsen said in an emailed statement. "Naloxone simply enables people to breathe." 

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