and denise s son was, and many other have. chad, our thoughts are with you as you continue this journey. and of course, to you and your son michael, denise. thank you. you re a great mom. i can tell that just by sitting beside you. thank you. i appreciate it. i m tamron hall. up next, andrea mitchell reports with arizona senator john mccain. (meow mix jingle) right on cue. it s more than just a meal, it s meow mix mealtime. with wholesome ingredients and irresistible taste, it s the only one cats ask for by name. the numbers are impressive. over 400,000 new private sector jobs. making new york state number two in the nation in new private sector job creation. with 10 regional development strategies to fit your business needs. and now it s even better because they ve introduced startup new york. with the state creating dozens of tax-free zones where businesses pay no taxes for ten years. become the next business to discover the new new york.
that s not the case with so many. these are not bad kids. these are not good kids. these are our kids. and they deserve a second chance at life. they re teenagers, adolescents. i agree with chad, their brains are hijacked, they re not making a choice to use heroin. at that stage, they re sick. do you worry that you have someone they re addicted, they re not focused on recovery, or beating the addiction, having narcan available as a crutch, are you at all concerned about that? narcan doesn t even cross their minds. they are in a severe addiction. if we would just get them treatment, maybe there wouldn t be a need for this. but this doesn t cross their minds. they re not making a choice. again, their brain is hijacked. they re sick individuals. and most people don t know, if you administer narcan, guess what happens if you every saved. you re a complete detox,
complete withdrawal. they are so sick. the users are educated. they re not thinking, oh, i m going to use. they re using to fulfill a need so they can stay well. what s your advice to families going through what you are right now? i think the biggest message i can send, the three most dangerous words, not my kid. i m proof of it, along with hundreds of other families. it happens to everyone. there s so many faces. it doesn t matter. talk to your kids, have a conversation, because the not my kid scenario does not exist. chad, do you believe other cities will follow now that the country s largest police department has now gotten onboard here? i m really hoping other cities will follow. because people need to understand the path of addiction. people are going to use until they suffer enough pain to try something different. we re just giving them the opportunity to find recovery here. everybody should be afforded the same chance that i was.
emergency anti-dote that quickly revives those who overdose on heroin. 373,000 users in 2007 has grown to 670,000 users in 2012. as the epidemic grows, more and more families of addicts are pushing for legislation that would expand access to maloxone. this despite opposition from some lawmakers and some medical experts who say making it more widely available provides a false sense of security to drug abusers. joining me chad, who admits to breaking the law providing it to addicts and their families. and michael is in recovery after a 40-bag-a-day habit. chad, let me first start off