Without Formal Centers, Users Improvise To Reverse Overdoses
Published on October 10, 2025
“You wanna know how bad it is?” asked Brad Carlson. “You see that man leaning on the fence? I saved his life twice. He saved my life once. The man next to him, we saved his life four times.” Carlson was describing a network of people addicted to opioids who have come to depend on one another to stay alive. They rely on the hope that if they stop breathing, someone nearby will administer the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, start CPR, and call 9-1-1.