Friends of Chambers, why are you letting your loved ones die?

Hey guys, I've been trying to start a conversation about this topic for a while on this sub, but can't seem to get any interest. So I decided to just go ahead and make this post. <br><br>I’ve been in harm reduction for a few years now, and I just can’t help but notice the overwhelming amount of posts celebrating death. <br><br>For example, what kind of advice do you see when you post about a friend or family member who’s struggling with addiction? <br><br>The first comment is almost always, “Let them hit rock bottom, you can’t save them, let them die if that’s what they want”. <br><br>I’ve personally lost two friends to fentanyl, one who was a really close friend of mine who I miss terribly, and the other who was a more recent friend who I’ve only known for maybe a year or two. <br><br>With my friend who passed away first, I was so scared to give them Narcan because I didn’t want to be a criminal, or I didn’t want to cause an abscess with repeated administration. <br><br>And I distinctly remember reading a comment on Chambers saying, “they’ll hate you, they’ll get mad at you, you’ll have to administer it multiple times, they’ll have abscesses, you’ll ruin your relationship with them, you’ll get in trouble, they’ll NEVER learn, you’re coddling them, you’re an enabler”. <br><br>So what did I wind up doing? I let them die, and I’ve kicked myself over that for years. <br><br>A year or so later, a different friend of mine got really sick and stopped breathing. His friend who was with him just so happened to have Narcan on him, and he saved his life. My friend was so grateful, and they’re still close friends. <br><br>Another time, one of my friends who I wasn’t super close with was doing a shot of heroin with a mutual friend of ours when they stopped breathing. Our mutual friend had Narcan and saved their life, and our friend was so grateful. <br><br>And with my more recent friend who passed away, they stopped breathing and their friend had Narcan, and even though they didn’t know how to properly administer it, they still gave it to them, and they came back to life. <br><br>I’ve had Narcan for years now, I’ve carried it with me at all times, and given it to those in need. I’ve never had a single person get mad at me, never had a single person hate me or ruin our relationship, I’ve administered it multiple times in a row without a single problem, I’ve NEVER seen abscesses, and I’ve NEVER gotten in trouble. <br><br>I want to let chambers know that you’re given horrible advice sometimes. 95% of the time your loved one will be so grateful you saved their life, and will never hold it against you. <br><br>Stop letting people die. Go to Walgreens, CVS, or Rite Aid, you don’t need a prescription to buy it, you don’t need to be a medical professional to learn how to administer it, and it doesn’t take months to get certified. You can be certified in less than a minute. <br><br>I urge everybody to PLEASE carry Narcan with them at all times, and PLEASE keep it in your purse, car, or bag. I never expected to actually have to help anybody, but I’ve administered it in excess of 50 times. <br><br>And for those who are addicted, PLEASE don’t be afraid to ask for help, there is always hope, and there is always a way out. <br><br>I’m not here to demonize people who are addicted to drugs. I’m not here to villainize people who are struggling. <br><br>I just want to help, and I want chambers to do better.