Summary

Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr., despite his history of heroin addiction, supports ending a $56 million federal Narcan distribution program that helped drive a nearly 24% drop in U.S. overdose deaths in 2024.

The program, administered by SAMHSA, trained over 66,000 people and distributed 282,500 kits.

Critics warn that cutting Narcan funding could reverse life-saving progress, especially as fentanyl-related overdoses persist.

Kennedy argues the crisis requires deeper societal change beyond “nuts and bolts” solutions, while public health advocates condemn the move as dangerously premature.

  • andros_rex@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Sure - addiction can fuck anyone.

    Some of us can afford rehab though. And it’s especially fucked when someone can afford rehab, benefits from it, and then turns around to deny others help.

    If RFK Jr left his addiction with a sense of empathy for the people who don’t have family members who will quietly cover up when one of your relatives kills someone while driving drunk, that would be a different story.

    I am not empathic to rich addicts. The fact that my stepdad was able to get weekend jail on his 5th DUI and used me and my siblings to start his car - while a schizophrenic who self medicates with opioids in my state will be killed in jail - nah, fuck them with a rusty pole and no tetanus shot.