Pennsylvania Fights Drug Overdose Crisis With Naloxone Campaign Extension

In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that specific naloxone products, including Narcan, which can reverse the effects of opioids, typically in instances of an overdose, are safe enough to potentially be sold over the counter. 

As the overdose crisis continues to inflict immense harm on families and communities nationwide, the Pennsylvania Department of Health is extending its real-world testimonial ad campaign to promote naloxone as an effective harm-reduction strategy.

About The Campaign

The campaign, which features real-life stories, will run until August 2023, following the death of 5,347 Pennsylvanians to overdose in 2021, per a press release. The ad campaign showcases narratives from five individuals whose lives have been impacted by substance use, highlighting the importance of obtaining naloxone.

Dr. Debra Bogen, acting Health Secretary, emphasized that anyone can potentially save a life by administering naloxone to an individual suffering from an opioid overdose. She urged Pennsylvanians to acquire naloxone from various sources such as pharmacies, community giveaways, or mail, and educate themselves on how to administer it. “You never know when you could save the life of a stranger neighbor, friend, or family member.” 

Materials for the campaign were created in partnership with Vital Strategies, a global health organization that believes every person should be protected by a strong public health system. According to Daliah Heller, VP for Drug Use Initiatives at Vital Strategies, the overdose crisis in the US can be prevented, and the availability of naloxone is an effective approach to curbing deaths.

“This Department of Health campaign is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Overdose Data to Action cooperative agreement and will run on TV and radio stations (...) as well as digital ads,” per a press release.

The campaign, projected to have over 76 million impressions, aligns with the recent efforts undertaken by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), the Department of Aging and the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency to enhance naloxone accessibility in the state.

Opioid Overdoses

According to the CDC, more than 107,600 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021. The majority involved fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. Nearly 20,000 overdose deaths between 1999 and 2020 have been prevented by self-administering naloxone, according to the FDA.

In September 2022, President Joe Biden announced $1.5 billion in funding to tackle opioid overdoses and remove barriers to key tools like naloxone.

Photo: Courtesy Of Dan Meyers On Unsplash