We’re partnering with a coalition of Black community leaders, government officials, and health experts in Philadelphia and across seven cities today launched You Have the Power to Save Lives, a campaign to promote the use of the overdose-reversing naloxone in Black communities. Here’s an excerpt of a news conference announcing the campaign to raise awareness about overdose and the availability free life saving Narcan. YouCanSaveLives.org
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, and welcome to Insight, a show about empowering
our community. I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. We're partnering with a coalition
of black community leaders, government officials, and health experts in
the Philadelphia area to launch You Have the Power to
Save Lives, a campaign to promote the use of overdose
reversing the lock zone in black communities. Here's an excerpt
(00:21):
of a news conference announcing the campaign to raise awareness
about overdose and the availability of free life saving NARCAN.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
My name is Sharda Sacaron, and I'm honored to serve
as your moderator as we come together to discuss a
critical issue that affects Black communities across the nation, the
ongoing crisis of overdose depths, and the urgent need to
save lives. Today, we are here to officially launch that
You Have the Power to Save Lives Campaign, an initiative
(00:49):
that unites black community leaders, health experts, government officials, and
local organizations across seven cities to address the devastating and
disproportionate impact of overdose debts on Black communities. While the
nation has seen a recent twenty four percent decline in
overdose debts, this encouraging progress masks a troubling reality. Overdose
(01:11):
continues to be the leading cause of preventable death for
Black adults, surpassing gun violence and car crashes. In many cities,
older Black men are four times more likely to die
of overdose compared to their peers, and in most states
with available data, black communities suffer higher fatal overdose rates
than their white counterparts. That You Have the Power to
(01:33):
Save Lives campaign has a clear mission to reduce overdose
debts in Black communities by raising awareness of the racial
disparities in overdose debts, educating about opioid use and overdose risk,
increasing the locksowne accessibility, and mobilizing community and city government
leaders to expand access to this life saving medication. So
(01:55):
central to this effort is our dedicated website, you can
Save Lives dot org. This platform serves as a vital
resource where people can locate in the lockzone distribution points nearby,
they can hear powerful testimonials from individuals directly affected by
overdose and take action to spread the word about the
(02:16):
importance of nloxone in saving lives. Today, you'll hear from
key voices representing the coalition behind this initiative they'll share
insights about the pressing need for access to the lockzone
as a basic item in emergency kits in all of
our homes, cars, and businesses, and the critical role community
(02:37):
leaders play in this effort. So, without further ado, I'd
like to introduce our first speaker, Dalia Heller, vice president
of Overdose Prevention Initiatives at Vital Strategies.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Thank you, Sharida and for all your supports i help
this campaign become a reality. I'm so pleased and truly
honored to join this panel today and to celebrate the
launch of this important campaign into the world. As you've noted,
the data shows us that while we're seeing a precipitous
decline in overdose doats overall in the country, we continue
(03:09):
to witness significant disparities in overdose deaths between black and
white populations in much of the country, and the risk
of overdose for black people is sometimes two and even
up to four times greater than for white people. However,
as we portrayed this issue historically often as a white issue,
(03:30):
it's important that we are shining a light here today
to raise awareness and focus on intervention and bringing information
to black communities. We know that every overdose is preventable,
and we know that most overdoses happen at home, many
with a witness present. If a witness has an a
lockx own, they can intervene and reverse the overdose, saving
(03:53):
a life. Vital Strategies is working intensively to reduce overdose
uts in seven hard hit staf across the country, where
we're partnering with communities and governments to scale equitable and
sustainable strategies for overdose prevention. This campaign is an opportunity
to build on that work by increasing awareness and improving
(04:14):
access to a laxown in cities where black communities have
been hit hard by the overdose crisis and are experiencing
disproportionately high rates. We really want this campaign to be
useful for spreading the word everywhere, so we would welcome
anyone interested in taking up this campaign to extend and
expand its reach, whether you're in government, community, philanthropy, anyone
(04:37):
to reach out to us. We'd like to see this
campaign live on and have an impact everywhere.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Thank you so much to Ally for your words and
also for your vision and leadership and helping to make
this campaign happen. I'm passing on to Our next speaker
who's a core partner in this campaign, Tracy Gardner, who's
the executive director of the National Black Harm Reduction netw
Thank you Tracy for joining us.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
There's lots of news going on about how overdose mortality
overdose deaths are declining, but the urgency of black overdose
cannot be understated. We have a disproportionate impact of overdose
in our communities. There is this simple tool that has
been both underutilized and unavailable. That is the core of
(05:26):
this campaign, and that's about now lox own and the
fact that we have the power to save our own lives.
We've always had to save our own lives and this
can't be any different. So some people, a lot of
people ask me, well, why is it so disproportionate among
Black folks, And you know, through our work with the
National Black Harm Reduction Network, we know it has a
(05:48):
lot to do with the availability of the resource. Do
people know about it? Is it being distributed in our
communities adequately? And that has not been the case. And
then the stick of the War on drugs and it's
disproportionate impact on us, the criminalization, the stigma that was
created around drug use, the prosecution over public health. All
(06:13):
of that is factored into why we are struggling in
many of the same ways that Native Americans are as
populations that have been specifically designated by public policies to
cause harm in our communities. We are very happy to
be partnering with vital strategies on this campaign and be
(06:37):
able to uplift the realities. This is not happening to
white kids and Appalachia. That's where the numbers are going down,
and we should have the same tools and strategies that
are available and that we should use them. Forty percent
of people who have dived over but overdose have had
someone in the room or very close to and so
(07:01):
the fact that narcin is not or naloxon is not
available to be able to intervene and bring someone back.
All of our lives are value, every single life. You
have options when you're alive, and that's what we have
the opportunity to do with this campaign with the power
to save lives and to make this tool and recognition
(07:26):
that this is hitting us hard, but we have the
ability and the know how to reverse it.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Thank you so much, Tracy, appreciate you and your work
and partnership. We have the honor of hearing from a
distinguished leader in the fight for social and economic justice today,
he wanted to share a few words with us. Mark H.
Moriole is the President and CEO of the National Urban League.
Under his leadership, the League has intensified its efforts to
(07:53):
promote equality and empower communities through education, economic development, and advocacy.
Mark has dedicated his career to championing the causes that
matter most underserved communities, and his voice has been pivotal
in shaping the discourse around civil rights and social equity
in America.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
There are many issues and critical challenges facing our community,
but one that demands our immediate attention is the needless
death of some many both young and old, from drug overdoses. Nationwide,
there's been a recent twenty four percent decline in overall
overdose deaths, but drug fatalities continue to rise in the
(08:34):
black community. The Pew Research Center found that overdose deaths
among black men have more than tripled, increasing two hundred
and thirteen percent from twenty fifteen to twenty twenty, and
there's even a study that predicts drug fatalities about black
men ages thirty one to forty seven will double. That's right,
double from twenty twenty to twenty twenty five. Bio Strategies
(08:57):
and the Elton John Aids Foundation are doing something about it.
They have a campaign it's called you Have the Power
to Save Lives, and its increasing awareness of the need
to make life saving medicine such as lux and also
known by its brand name Narcan, more accessible and available
in our communities. This is a life saving medication that
(09:19):
reverses opioid overdoses. Often given as a nasal spray, Narcan
is safe and easy to use. Black and brown communities
must be made aware, however, that this life saving medicine
is available for free. That's right, for free in many communities.
We do have the power to stop preventable overdose deaths.
Each of us who are listening today Cannon must play
(09:41):
a crucial role in this fight by passing this knowledge on.
Too many people are gone. Too many people have gone,
Too many families have been devastated. We must stop it,
and it must be stopped so our communities can thrive.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
To find out more, go to you can Save Lives
dot org. We'll have more insight after these messages
Good morning, and welcome to Insight, a show about empowering
our community. I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. We're partnering with a coalition
of black community leaders, government officials, and health experts in
the Philadelphia area to launch You Have the Power to
Save Lives, a campaign to promote the use of overdose
reversing the lock zone in black communities. Here's an excerpt
(00:21):
of a news conference announcing the campaign to raise awareness
about overdose and the availability of free life saving NARCAN.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
My name is Sharda Sacaron, and I'm honored to serve
as your moderator as we come together to discuss a
critical issue that affects Black communities across the nation, the
ongoing crisis of overdose depths, and the urgent need to
save lives. Today, we are here to officially launch that
You Have the Power to Save Lives Campaign, an initiative
(00:49):
that unites black community leaders, health experts, government officials, and
local organizations across seven cities to address the devastating and
disproportionate impact of overdose debts on Black communities. While the
nation has seen a recent twenty four percent decline in
overdose debts, this encouraging progress masks a troubling reality. Overdose
(01:11):
continues to be the leading cause of preventable death for
Black adults, surpassing gun violence and car crashes. In many cities,
older Black men are four times more likely to die
of overdose compared to their peers, and in most states
with available data, black communities suffer higher fatal overdose rates
than their white counterparts. That You Have the Power to
(01:33):
Save Lives campaign has a clear mission to reduce overdose
debts in Black communities by raising awareness of the racial
disparities in overdose debts, educating about opioid use and overdose risk,
increasing the locksowne accessibility, and mobilizing community and city government
leaders to expand access to this life saving medication. So
(01:55):
central to this effort is our dedicated website, you can
Save Lives dot org. This platform serves as a vital
resource where people can locate in the lockzone distribution points nearby,
they can hear powerful testimonials from individuals directly affected by
overdose and take action to spread the word about the
(02:16):
importance of nloxone in saving lives. Today, you'll hear from
key voices representing the coalition behind this initiative they'll share
insights about the pressing need for access to the lockzone
as a basic item in emergency kits in all of
our homes, cars, and businesses, and the critical role community
(02:37):
leaders play in this effort. So, without further ado, I'd
like to introduce our first speaker, Dalia Heller, vice president
of Overdose Prevention Initiatives at Vital Strategies.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Thank you, Sharida and for all your supports i help
this campaign become a reality. I'm so pleased and truly
honored to join this panel today and to celebrate the
launch of this important campaign into the world. As you've noted,
the data shows us that while we're seeing a precipitous
decline in overdose doats overall in the country, we continue
(03:09):
to witness significant disparities in overdose deaths between black and
white populations in much of the country, and the risk
of overdose for black people is sometimes two and even
up to four times greater than for white people. However,
as we portrayed this issue historically often as a white issue,
(03:30):
it's important that we are shining a light here today
to raise awareness and focus on intervention and bringing information
to black communities. We know that every overdose is preventable,
and we know that most overdoses happen at home, many
with a witness present. If a witness has an a
lockx own, they can intervene and reverse the overdose, saving
(03:53):
a life. Vital Strategies is working intensively to reduce overdose
uts in seven hard hit staf across the country, where
we're partnering with communities and governments to scale equitable and
sustainable strategies for overdose prevention. This campaign is an opportunity
to build on that work by increasing awareness and improving
(04:14):
access to a laxown in cities where black communities have
been hit hard by the overdose crisis and are experiencing
disproportionately high rates. We really want this campaign to be
useful for spreading the word everywhere, so we would welcome
anyone interested in taking up this campaign to extend and
expand its reach, whether you're in government, community, philanthropy, anyone
(04:37):
to reach out to us. We'd like to see this
campaign live on and have an impact everywhere.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Thank you so much to Ally for your words and
also for your vision and leadership and helping to make
this campaign happen. I'm passing on to Our next speaker
who's a core partner in this campaign, Tracy Gardner, who's
the executive director of the National Black Harm Reduction netw
Thank you Tracy for joining us.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
There's lots of news going on about how overdose mortality
overdose deaths are declining, but the urgency of black overdose
cannot be understated. We have a disproportionate impact of overdose
in our communities. There is this simple tool that has
been both underutilized and unavailable. That is the core of
(05:26):
this campaign, and that's about now lox own and the
fact that we have the power to save our own lives.
We've always had to save our own lives and this
can't be any different. So some people, a lot of
people ask me, well, why is it so disproportionate among
Black folks, And you know, through our work with the
National Black Harm Reduction Network, we know it has a
(05:48):
lot to do with the availability of the resource. Do
people know about it? Is it being distributed in our
communities adequately? And that has not been the case. And
then the stick of the War on drugs and it's
disproportionate impact on us, the criminalization, the stigma that was
created around drug use, the prosecution over public health. All
(06:13):
of that is factored into why we are struggling in
many of the same ways that Native Americans are as
populations that have been specifically designated by public policies to
cause harm in our communities. We are very happy to
be partnering with vital strategies on this campaign and be
(06:37):
able to uplift the realities. This is not happening to
white kids and Appalachia. That's where the numbers are going down,
and we should have the same tools and strategies that
are available and that we should use them. Forty percent
of people who have dived over but overdose have had
someone in the room or very close to and so
(07:01):
the fact that narcin is not or naloxon is not
available to be able to intervene and bring someone back.
All of our lives are value, every single life. You
have options when you're alive, and that's what we have
the opportunity to do with this campaign with the power
to save lives and to make this tool and recognition
(07:26):
that this is hitting us hard, but we have the
ability and the know how to reverse it.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Thank you so much, Tracy, appreciate you and your work
and partnership. We have the honor of hearing from a
distinguished leader in the fight for social and economic justice today,
he wanted to share a few words with us. Mark H.
Moriole is the President and CEO of the National Urban League.
Under his leadership, the League has intensified its efforts to
(07:53):
promote equality and empower communities through education, economic development, and advocacy.
Mark has dedicated his career to championing the causes that
matter most underserved communities, and his voice has been pivotal
in shaping the discourse around civil rights and social equity
in America.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
There are many issues and critical challenges facing our community,
but one that demands our immediate attention is the needless
death of some many both young and old, from drug overdoses. Nationwide,
there's been a recent twenty four percent decline in overall
overdose deaths, but drug fatalities continue to rise in the
(08:34):
black community. The Pew Research Center found that overdose deaths
among black men have more than tripled, increasing two hundred
and thirteen percent from twenty fifteen to twenty twenty, and
there's even a study that predicts drug fatalities about black
men ages thirty one to forty seven will double. That's right,
double from twenty twenty to twenty twenty five. Bio Strategies
(08:57):
and the Elton John Aids Foundation are doing something about it.
They have a campaign it's called you Have the Power
to Save Lives, and its increasing awareness of the need
to make life saving medicine such as lux and also
known by its brand name Narcan, more accessible and available
in our communities. This is a life saving medication that
(09:19):
reverses opioid overdoses. Often given as a nasal spray, Narcan
is safe and easy to use. Black and brown communities
must be made aware, however, that this life saving medicine
is available for free. That's right, for free in many communities.
We do have the power to stop preventable overdose deaths.
Each of us who are listening today Cannon must play
(09:41):
a crucial role in this fight by passing this knowledge on.
Too many people are gone. Too many people have gone,
Too many families have been devastated. We must stop it,
and it must be stopped so our communities can thrive.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
To find out more, go to you can Save Lives
dot org. We'll have more insight after these messages
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