Save A Life Day
Save a Life Day brings free Naloxone (Narcan) to Fayette County. Volunteers dedicate an entire day to set up stations throughout the county and mobile units go door to door to meet people where they are. Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose. But, naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, and it is not a treatment for opioid use disorder.
Facts
More than three out of every four fatal overdoses in West Virginia in 2019 involved an opioid, with reports of opioid overdoses substantially increasing in 2020. Naloxone is a powerful and proven antidote for reversing opioid overdoses. 2021 marks the 50th year naloxone has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This event was to get this life saving medicine, Naloxone, into the hands of people who need it the most. We provided naloxone to the community at large, to give everyone the tools they need to help our community members reach recovery.
Naloxone can also be distributed to WV residents using the free online training provided by the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute.
Overdose Basics
An overdose means having more of a drug (or combination of drugs) than your body can cope with. There are a number of signs and symptoms that show someone has overdosed, and these differ with the type of drug used. All drugs can cause an overdose, including prescription medication prescribed by a doctor. It is important to know the right amount and the right time to take your medication. It is also vital to know what drugs should not be mixed, and to seek help if you feel you are not in control of your drug use.
To learn more, visit here
Upcoming Event
Beginning in 2023, the Save a Life Day event will expand from the 55 counties of West Virginia to the entire Appalachian Region. On Thursday, September 14th, sites will be set up throughout the region to distribute naloxone and to educate Appalachians about substance use disorder and the overdose crisis in the region.
If you’d like to volunteer, sign up here: https://forms.gle/mUB46c9XaQwwjN6S8
