Could this miracle drug cut America’s opioid epidemic?

December 20, 2022
by RJ Hamster

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we examine how to get lifesaving medication everywhere to protect tens of thousands of people from opioid deaths. Plus, the central mystery behind the Titanic; new sonar tech reveals Amazonian ‘ghosts’ … and the failed plan for Napoleon Blown-apart.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JANE BARLOW, PA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

America has failed to stop the frustratingly stubborn increase in opioid deaths. Let’s move fast to get naloxone (pictured above), also known as Narcan, everywhere to help reverse fentanyl overdoses ASAP, addiction experts say.

Like, now.

“There’s no downside,” says Yale med school’s Kimberly Sue. “It’s a magical medication that literally has a Lazarus effect that can reverse the opioid effect on people’s brains and give people time to get emergency care.”

Both political parties in California back requiring public schools to keep doses on hand—and requiring managers of bars, gas stations, public libraries, and hotels with high OD rates to post a Narcan kit accessible to employees. What’s being done where you live? What’s the holdup? How many lives are at stake?

Read the full story here.

Please, consider getting our full digital report and magazine by subscribing here.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMY HOLDEN, FAUNA & FLORA INTERNATIONAL

They’re one of Earth’s rarest reptiles. But these crocodiles (pictured above) are bouncing back

How do I know if I have long COVID?

The Yuletide plot to blow up Napoleon

Don’t eat like Santa: How to stay healthy this holiday season

What’s the winter solstice? Here’s what you need to know

Despite the warning, the Titanic was doomed

The surprisingly sordid history of Germany’s Christmas markets

How did Jesus’ parents become a couple? Here’s what biblical scholars say.

Yo ho ho! Where pirates spent their booty—and planned new plunder

The eyes of reindeer change color, depending on the light

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIELLE VILLASANA, @DAVILLASANA

Where are these salt mines? The mining here predates the region’s legendary Indigenous civilization. The site has roughly 4,500 evaporation ponds and many have been maintained by the same families for generations. Once the pools dry, miners harvest the salt—said by some to heal illnesses and ailments. Where is this? Click here to find out.

WHERE IS THIS?

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY JASON GULLEY

Locals call them ‘ghosts’: Amazonian manatees are nearly impossible to see. They haunt murky, sediment-laden water in Brazil and researchers catch a glimpse of the mammals only once a year—if they’re lucky. Thanks to new sonar technology, however, researchers are creating the first-ever “videos” of the manatees in their natural habitats, reports Nat Geo Explorer Gena Steffens. (Above, an Amazonian manatee at a rehabilitation center in Peru, photographed by Nat Geo Explorer Jason Gulley.)

SONAR SIXTH SENSE

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID MCLAIN

Eating to live longer in 2023: During the transatlantic slave trade, enslaved West Africans brought native seeds across the water to the eastern coast of the American South. There they blended their cooking styles with Native American traditions to create Gullah Geechee cuisine. The resulting food is renowned—and being hailed as a lifestyle that can extend your life. They even have recipes for the new year to bring wealth and fortune. Check out two of our favorite recipes here. (Pictured above, Carolina Gold rice, which is important to Gullah Geechee cuisine.)

BLUE ZONES TO LIFE

We hope you liked today’s newsletter. This was edited and curated by Sydney Combs, Jen Tse, and David Beard. Have an idea or a link for us? Write david.beard@natgeo.com. Happy trails!

SHOP DONATE SUBSCRIBE TRAVEL

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.

This email was sent to: peter.hovis@gmail.com. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.

This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036

Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences.

Manage all email preferences with the Walt Disney Family of Companies.

Fan Club News: Charitable Callaway Corvette Auction & Corvette History

Do You Have the Knowledge to Succeed in 2023?

RJ Hamster

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Could this miracle drug cut America’s opioid epidemic?

Could this miracle drug cut America’s opioid epidemic?

Share this:

Like this:

Related articles