Pennsylvania authorizes the use of Narcan, overdose antidote

Gov. Tom Corbett has signed a bill that’s designed to reduce fatalities from heroin overdoses, partly by making an antidote more available to police and the public.
The drug known as naloxone reverses the effects of heroin and opioids like OxyContin. Police, friends and relatives of addicts will have wider access to the antidote, whose brand name is Narcan.
At least 17 other states have similar laws. Pennsylvania's statute will take effect in 60 days.
Corbett signed the legislation during a ceremony at the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown.
The bill also offers immunity from criminal prosecution to those who help overdose victims.

Corbett says that as a prosecutor he watched heroin and similar drugs ruin people’s lives. He says the new law will save lives and ensure that people who help an overdose victim are not punished for doing so.
A legislative study found deadly drug overdoses soared in Pennsylvania between 1990 and 2011. Experts say that’s largely due to the abuse of legal painkillers by users who switch to heroin as a cheaper alternative.