Thesis and Counterargument

Thesis:

The Opioid crisis in the US has lead many states to implement programs that distribute Narcan a controversial overdose antidote.

Counterargument:

This form of harm reduction strategy has some critics, who claim that this medication only encourages drug use; giving the addicts a way to reveres the overdose. Narcan enables opioid addiction; addicts may view Narcan as a safety net it doesn’t encourage recovery. 

Response to the counterargument:

One may argue that Narcan doesn’t give the addict a safety net; this medication increased the addict’s ability to go into recovery by giving the addict another chance to live an opportunity to go into rehab. This opportunity would not even be a choice if Narcan were not available. Narcan doesn’t enable use, when Narcan is administered to an overdose victim it can send them into a rapid and painful withdrawal (Wing, 2015). Which makes it unlikely to enable the opioid user. Why would an addict get high to immediately sober up? Opioid withdrawal isn’t something an addict peruses, opioid addicts use to not experience the withdrawal, its not about the high anymore, its about not being sick, a sickness that entails; muscle pains, anxiety, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. That’s sounds like something that we would all avoid.