During the Covid-19 pandemic, it's important we don't lose sight of other epidemics that have impacted the nation's health. The opioid epidemic has contributed to lower life expectancy for non-college-educated whites in the U.S. in each of the last three years.
Our guest today, author Nancy Campbell, has written a compelling social history of the drug Naloxone ("Narcan"), the best-known opioid reversal agent we have, and how it has evolved from a drug used only in scientific and medical settings to one that's now available over-the-counter in many jurisdictions as part of a harm reduction strategy.
Nancy Campbell is Professor and Department Head of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and author of "OD: Naloxone and the Politics of Overdose."