--- title: Eric Holder: Naloxone Could Reduce Heroin Overdose Deaths description: Attorney general says more must be done to combat "growing public health crisis" of heroin addiction canonical: https://time.com/17990/eric-holder-naloxone-heroin-overdose/ author: Charlotte Alter article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-03-10T12:06:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T06:40:25.847Z article:section: Health og:title: Eric Holder Urges First Responders to Carry Naloxone to Combat Overdose Deaths og:description: Attorney general says more must be done to combat "growing public health crisis" of heroin addiction og:url: https://time.com/17990/eric-holder-naloxone-heroin-overdose/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt051c6c89b35ed610/69868282cd68484be10934d1/01c3d516a0b442d88516640e8c2037ab-0-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Eric Holder og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Eric Holder Urges First Responders to Carry Naloxone to Combat Overdose Deaths twitter:description: Attorney general says more must be done to combat "growing public health crisis" of heroin addiction twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt051c6c89b35ed610/69868282cd68484be10934d1/01c3d516a0b442d88516640e8c2037ab-0-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Holder Urges Use of Drug to Combat Heroin Overdoses  by [Charlotte Alter](/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Mar 10, 2014 12:06 PM CUT  Attorney General Eric Holder testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 29, 2014. Attorney General Eric Holder testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 29, 2014.J. Scott Applewhite—AP  by [Charlotte Alter](/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Mar 10, 2014 12:06 PM CUT Attorney General Eric Holder has urged first responders to carry a [drug ](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/03/10/holder-heroin-overdose-help/6247281/ "undefined")that can reverse heroin overdoses, in order to help [curb](http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/02/study-supports-benefits-of-naloxone-in-treating-drug-overdoses/ "undefined") the “growing public health crisis” of addiction to the drug. Holder announced the new initiative in a video posted Monday to the Justice Department website. He noted that heroin deaths have increased 45% between 2006 and 2010, and that heroin seizures along the Mexican border have gone up 320% since 2008, USA Today [reports.](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/03/10/holder-heroin-overdose-help/6247281/ "undefined") “Addiction to heroin and other opiates — including certain prescription pain-killers — is impacting the lives of Americans in every state, in every region, and from every background and walk of life — and all too often, with deadly results,” he said. The Attorney General called on more states to enable first responders to carry naloxone, a drug that can reduce a heroin overdose if administered quickly enough. Currently 17 states and the District of Columbia have changed their laws to allow wider access to naloxone. “Used in concert with ‘Good Samaritan’ laws, which grant immunity from criminal prosecution to those seeking medical help for someone experiencing an overdose, naloxone can save lives,” he said. \[[USA Today](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/03/10/holder-heroin-overdose-help/6247281/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/17990/eric-holder-naloxone-heroin-overdose/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/17990/eric-holder-naloxone-heroin-overdose/"},"headline":"Holder Urges Use of Drug to Combat Heroin Overdoses","datePublished":"2014-03-10T12:06:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T06:40:25.847Z","description":"Attorney general advocates for first responders to carry naloxone, which can reverse heroin overdoses if administered quickly enough","url":"https://time.com/17990/eric-holder-naloxone-heroin-overdose/","keywords":["Naloxone","Eric Holder","Justice Department","attorney general"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt051c6c89b35ed610/69868282cd68484be10934d1/01c3d516a0b442d88516640e8c2037ab-0-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Charlotte Alter","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt051c6c89b35ed610/69868282cd68484be10934d1/01c3d516a0b442d88516640e8c2037ab-0-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Eric Holder","caption":"Eric Holder","creditText":"J. 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