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US airlines adding opioid overdose drug Narcan to emergency in-flight medical kits

The life-saving drug is not required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

ATLANTA — In a sign of the deep reach of the opioid crisis in America, airlines are now carrying the life-saving opioid overdose drug Narcan in their emergency in-flight medical kits.

The drug is not among those required to be carried aboard flights by the Federal Aviation Administration, but there have been published reports of possible opioid overdoses on flights in recent years. 

Last year, the Association of Flight Attendants formally requested the FAA issue regulations requiring that the kits carry naloxone (Narcan is the brand name version of naloxone).

Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines all confirmed to 11Alive's Bill Liss that their inflight emergency medical kits now have Narcan. Currently Southwest is not carrying the drug, citing the fact that it's not required by the FAA.

RELATED: Emergency drug shortages reported on U.S. airlines

The FAA only requires five emergency drugs on in-flight kits:

  • Epinephrine for severe allergic reaction.
  • Epinephrine for cardiac arrests
  • Atropine for slow heart rate
  • Dextrose for low blood sugar
  • Lidocaine for an irregular heartbeat

"Passenger medical emergencies have and will continue to include opioid overdoses," the Association of Flight Attendants wrote in its letter to the FAA last year. "Unfortunately, passengers may die from opioid overdoses on airplanes from the sheer lack of access to naloxone." 

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