A new campaign recently launched to increase awareness of and access to naloxone – the opioid overdose reversal drug – in Philadelphia’s Black community.
The effort includes advertisements and partnerships with community groups, along with a website, youcansavelives.org.
Vital Strategies, a public health organization, is leading the initiative, which is being rolled out simultaneously in six other cities.
Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is a nasal spray that is fairly simple to use and available at pharmacies and distribution sites, often at no cost. Residents can also order the medication mailed to their door.
“The key to saving a life with naloxone is administering it as quickly as possible,” said Keli McLoyd, director of the city’s Overdose Response Unit, during a March 26 news conference about the campaign. “Everyone should carry Narcan or naloxone and be prepared to use it.”
Historically, the opioid crisis, and the resulting flood of deaths, has been portrayed as a “white issue,” noted Daliah Heller, Vital Strategies’ vice president for overdose prevention initiatives.
However, while nationwide overdose rates have been declining, the numbers have been rising in the Black community, with much of the decrease occurring mainly in the white population, according to a briefing prepared by Vital Strategies.
Philadelphia Department of Public Health data shows that overdose deaths increased 87% among Black residents and decreased 12% for white individuals between 2018 and 2022.
Statistics also indicate that Black drug users in Pennsylvania are also less likely to receive naloxone while overdosing, McLoyd said. During a virtual discussion hosted by Vital Strategies, experts from around the country suggested that stigma around narcotics use, the impact of the “War on Drugs,” and a lack of targeted outreach is to blame.
Opioids have also been found in cocaine, methamphetamine, pills and other substances that may surprise longtime users. Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opiate, was detected in nearly 80% of Philadelphia’s 1,315 overdose fatalities in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available, McLoyd said.
She said the city has paid canvassers to go door-to-door to offer naloxone, fentanyl test strips and drug treatment services to residents.
As part of the “You Have the Power to Save Lives” initiative, promos are being featured on multiple Philadelphia radio stations for the next few weeks.
“It’s not just a Kensington thing,” Power 99’s Mikey Dredd says in a clip posted to the campaign’s website. “Overdose could happen in South Philly, West Philly, Camden, Cherry Hill, Coatesville, King of Prussia or Pottstown.”
In another ad, Adimu Colon, of 105.3 WDAS, recounts driving around with a cousin in an attempt to locate a family member and get him into drug treatment.
“You can’t force someone to go to rehab in order to save their life,” he says. “You just need to be there.”
In addition to Philadelphia, the campaign is running in Detroit; Milwaukee; Louisville, Kentucky; Durham, North Carolina; Newark, New Jersey; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, with funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
