This Reality Star Wants You to Be Prepared to Save a Life

YOU MIGHT KNOW Zac Clark as the guy who received the final rose on a popular reality show. But there’s far more to his story: He received a life-altering brain tumor diagnosis at just 24 years old, and post-surgery pain management introduced Clark to opioids for the first time which led to a dependency that “flipped his life upside down within a matter of months.”

To all appearances, Clark defied the typical image of someone who could be struggling with addiction. In fact, he graduated from college, secured and held down a corporate job, and got married—all while battling a hidden opioid dependency. It wasn’t until 2011 when Clark came to realize the transformative gift of recovery. He got clean, and ever since then, he has dedicated his life to helping others. Knowing that he’s one of the lucky ones, the beloved TV personality turned his difficult past into a life of purpose and founded Release Recovery, a New York City-based organization that helps individuals and their families recover from substance use and mental health disorders through customized clinical treatment and transitional living.

But Clark recognizes that things could’ve gone differently: “The truth is, the opioid epidemic is happening all around us, and anyone can be at risk for an accidental opioid poisoning anywhere, and at any time,” he says.

Understanding Today’s Opioid Epidemic

OPIOID POISONINGS ARE the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S.,  and Clark is no stranger to the pervasive stigma that surrounds this epidemic. People do not realize the many unexpected situations that can lead to opioid risks, such as surgery, car accidents and sports-related injuries, to name a few. What’s more: In 2022, 70 percent of overdose deaths were caused by synthetic opioids including fentanyl, which can prove deadly from a single dose. “Synthetic drugs like fentanyl are ending up in everything, and it has changed the entire landscape of the opioid crisis,” Clark says. This has become a tragically common occurrence as more than 100,000 people lost their lives to drug overdoses in 2023 alone, a majority of which caused by opioids and synthetic opioids.

“Illicit fentanyl is a silent killer. You can’t taste it, you can’t smell it, and it only takes one pill, one time. I wouldn’t be here today if fentanyl was as prevalent back then as it is now,” Clark says. “That’s why we need to sound the alarm about how easy it is to use naloxone medications, like NARCAN^® Nasal Spray, to help save a life,” Clark says. “This cannot be an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ topic, and we need to educate everyone on the risks, the signs of an opioid poisoning, and how to act in the event of an emergency.”

Bonnie Milas, MD, a cardiac anesthesiologist-intensivist and professor of clinical anesthesiology and critical care in Philadelphia, stands with Clark’s mission as a passionate naloxone advocate. In addition to her professional commitment to helping others as a physician, she is also driven by personal tragedy having experienced every parent’s worst nightmare: she lost two sons—her only children—to fentanyl poisonings.

“Someone may feel stressed or need to self-treat, so they take a pill or tablet from their friends and are unknowingly exposed to fentanyl. It can be purely accidental,” says Dr. Milas.

While there has been progress to end this ongoing epidemic, there is more work to be done. The good news is that we have a medicine that can reverse the effects of an opioid poisoning in minutes: NARCAN^® (naloxone HCI) Nasal Spray. The life-saving medication is available over the counter in retailers nationwide and online, which means anyone—including you—can be a part of the solution by being ready to rescue.

NARCAN^® Nasal Spray is easy to administer and works by “displacing the opioid from the receptor in the brain, which helps the individual to start breathing again and become conscious,” explains Dr. Milas. Naloxone, the active ingredient in the product, has no effect on people who haven’t taken opioids and don’t have them in their brain—so it isn’t harmful if given to someone you think is overdosing but may not be.

Dr. Milas encourages everyone to keep NARCAN^® Nasal Spray on hand, both at home and in their bag or jacket pocket when they’re out. “It’s the antidote to an opioid emergency. It’s a lifesaver,” says Dr. Milas, who speaks from experience. There were times Dr. Milas found her sons unresponsive and used NARCAN^® Nasal Spray that she had on hand to revive them. “You have to have it on you to be ready,” she says. “I carry it with me wherever I go.”

Where Opioid Emergencies Happen—and Signs to Watch for

IT’S CHILLING TO think about, but accidental opioid poisonings can happen to anyone, anywhere—most commonly at home. There are several opioid emergency situations; for example: “It could be a grandparent mistakenly taking the wrong dose of a prescribed pain pill after a surgery, or a student who takes a pill from a friend to help them study not knowing it is laced with fentanyl,” says Clark.

Other high-risk areas where you could encounter someone who has overdosed include public restrooms, bars, restaurants, public transportation stations, stadiums, clubs, and even libraries, Dr. Milas notes.

If you’re not sure whether someone is experiencing an opioid overdose emergency, looking for certain signs and symptoms can help. These include:

• Extreme drowsiness or unresponsiveness: The person may be difficult to wake up or may not respond to stimuli.
• Slow, shallow or absent breathing
• Pinpoint pupils: The person’s pupils (the dark circle in the center of the eye) may appear very small.
• Bluish tint to the lips and nails: Lack of oxygen can cause bluish discoloration in these areas.
• Slow or weak pulse: The heart rate may be slow or irregular.

How to Act in an Opioid Emergency

RECENTLY, A MEMBER of the Release Recovery community used NARCAN^® Nasal Spray on an unresponsive stranger on the subway platform on his way home from the organization’s weekly run club. As Clark tells it, the EMTs were called, the guy came out of it, and a life was saved. “I believe that everyone should have NARCAN^® Nasal Spray on hand and be prepared to help,” he says.

If you suspect that someone is experiencing an accidental opioid poisoning, you can help save that person’s life with an easy-to-remember phrase, Lay, Spray, Stay, consisting of three simple steps:

• Lay. Check for slowed breathing or unresponsiveness, and then lay the person down on their back and tilt their head up.
• Spray. Insert NARCAN^® Nasal Spray into either nostril and spray by pressing the plunger firmly. Use as directed by the label.
• Stay. Call 911 and tell the operator that you’re with someone who is unconscious and who may have overdosed on opioids. You should continue to administer additional doses every 2 to 3 minutes, as needed, if the person hasn’t woken up. Stay with the person until help arrives.

NARCAN^® Nasal Spray is available at a variety of pharmacies and grocery stores nationwide as well as online. Head to www.NARCAN.com/buy to find a retailer near you and be ready to rescue.

“Use rescue breathing or chest compressions while awaiting trained help, if needed,” urges Dr. Milas.

“If we are prepared to put out a fire with a fire extinguisher, why shouldn’t we be prepared to intervene and reverse an opioid poisoning?” Clark asks. “It’s critical we get this medication in everyone’s homes and workplaces. Because it can, and does, save lives.”

This is a paid partnership between NARCAN^® Nasal Spray and Men’s Health.