In the US‚ many people die alone from drug overdoses‚ its a big problem. Now‚ some new tech stuff is trying to help stop this.
There are different kinds of tech being used. Some places have alarms in bathrooms that go off if someone falls down. Other tech can tell if someones breathing gets slow (which happens in an overdose). There are also phone lines and chat apps where people can talk to someone while they use drugs.
Greg‚ a guy from Oklahoma‚ used one of these phone lines. He was worried about the drugs he was taking‚ so he called to have someone check on him. He said‚ “Fear is a great motivator — its motivated me to at least have a connection with somebody if something did happen“
But theres some problems with using this tech more. Some people think it might make drug use seem okay. Drug users might worry about getting in trouble. Also‚ this stuff costs money‚ and not much is being spent on it right now.
Ju Nyeong Park‚ who studies this stuff‚ thinks the government should put more money into seeing if these things really work. She said: “Technology is a part of our lives. Sure‚ it can be a source of entertainment; it could also be a preventative tool“
One sad story shows why this tech might help. Chase Hughes died alone in his room from drugs. His dad‚ Bryan Hughes‚ had stuff that couldve saved him‚ but didnt know his son needed help. He said‚ “Its heartbreaking. I could have helped my kid. He was right there‚ and I didnt know“
Some new tech is pretty fancy. Theres a thing called Opioid Halo that you wear on your finger. It tells someone if your breathing gets bad. But its expensive — about $250 — so not many people are buying it.
Cheaper stuff might work too. Theres a $20 wristband that makes noise if you dont move for a while. And some bathrooms have alarms that go off if someone stops moving.
People wont travel even half an hour to go use drugs in a supervised location
This tech might not fix everything‚ but it could give some people another chance