Naloxone as a technology of solidarity: history of opioid overdose prevention

In this interview, Dr. Nancy Campbell talks about the history of naloxone. In today’s reality of opioid addiction epidemics in many areas of the world, naloxone is highly regarded as a life-saving drug that reverses opioid overdose — it's a technology of solidarity. But it was once considered a technology of suspicion. It had to pass through social cycles of innovation, adoption, and backlash. It was even used by law enforcement to test individuals suspected of using narcotics. Its history is a fascinating one. Dr. Nancy Campbell is professor and department head of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. She has authored many books on the topic, including Discovering Addiction: The Science and Politics of Substance Abuse Research as well as a forthcoming book called OD: Naloxone and the Politics of Overdose Prevention. Her CMAJ Medicine and Society article is titled “Naloxone as a technology of solidarity: history of opioid overdose prevention.” The article is published in CMAJ: www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.190257 ----------------------------------- This podcast episode is brought to you by Audi Canada. The Canadian Medical Association has partnered with Audi Canada to offer CMA members a preferred incentive on select vehicle models. Purchase any new qualifying Audi model and receive an additional cash incentive based on the purchase type. Details of the incentive program can be found at www.audiprofessional.ca. ----------------------------------- Subscribe to CMAJ Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Overcast, Instacast, or your favourite aggregator. You can also follow us directly on our SoundCloud page or you can visit www.cmaj.ca/page/multimedia/podcasts.