AUSTIN, Texas - Charles Thibodeaux and Mark Kinzly distribute Narcan, known generically as Naloxone, to people all over Texas. They founded the Texas Overdose Naloxone Initiative (TONI) in 2013. Since then they've saved between 600 to 700 lives.
"Somebody's mother, father, spouse, child was probably pretty happy that Narcan was available," said Thibodeaux.
While the duo is thankful they're able to save lives, they wish fewer people were overdosing. That's why they're applauding a move by Attorney General Ken Paxton to join a multi-state probe into the manufacturers of opioids.
"In order for us to hold these pharmaceutical companies accountable for their negligible practices, this has to happen," said Kinzly. "It could have happened five or six years ago."
The investigation will examine whether companies acted unlawfully when marketing and selling their drugs. The men behind TONI say the companies are definitely to blame.
"There are monetary and other types of incentives that have been given (by companies) throughout the years (to doctors). It's unethical, I believe," said Kinzly.
According to TONI, five percent of people prescribed the drugs become addicts. They say it doesn't just cost lives, but also money.
"We're talking about HIV, hepatitis C, emergency room visits. Those are really high cost health care indicators. So this money, that the states have to spend to treat people, can be recouped through these types of lawsuits," said Kinzly.
"This is a public safety and public health issue," said Attorney General Ken Paxton in a statement. "Opioid painkiller abuse and related overdoses are devastating families here in Texas and throughout the country. The multi-state investigation will help us determine the appropriate course of action we can take as attorneys general to address the opioid epidemic."
Below: Number of opioid overdose deaths by state from 2015.