By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Narcan, one of the most powerful tools to reverse an overdose, is becoming harder to get. An addiction treatment center in the Valley is warning that the supply is becoming harder to access, and that could mean dangerous delays when seconds count.
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Narcan is a legal medication that reverses an opioid overdose fast. It can come in the form of a nasal spray or an injection.
Experts say the most important part is that it is accessible. And according to advocates, Narcan is now in short supply.
A vending machine at Community Medical Services used to be filled with Narcan. Now it sits empty.
“I would love to see them full, as a person that’s been revived three times by Narcan, it saves people’s lives,” said John Koch, director of community and public relations at Community Medical Services.
Koch is with the addiction treatment center. He’s also a recovering addict and knows first-hand how important access to Narcan is.
“I am a homeowner, I am a taxpayer, I am a father, I am a husband,” Koch said. “That was all due to Narcan and the access and availability that I had years ago that revived me.”
Koch said they used to receive grant money from the federal government through the state to bolster their Narcan supply. But he said now that money has been cut dramatically.
“We give out where we can,” Koch said, “We do not have the ability to hand it out to every single person anymore.”
Kristen Peterson is with Community Medical Services and Shot in the Dark, a grassroots harm-reduction group.
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“Just walking into one of our clinics and someone asks our nurse, ‘Hey, can I get some Narcan?’ And she has to say ‘No, we don’t have it available. No, we don’t have it,’” Peterson said.
She said the majority of overdose reversals come from people who are also using drugs.
“My daughter struggles with chaotic substance use. If you were to ask me who my favorite first responder to overdoses is, I would tell you her name is Brianna, and she’s my daughter,” Peterson said. “She’s constantly reversing overdoses on the streets in her circle of people.”
In Arizona, between 2020 and 2024, opioid overdose deaths dropped. But in 2025, they increased by roughly 30%.
These experts worry that without this critical access, the trend could continue and get worse.
“It’s important for us all to give people another chance at life,” Peterson said.
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