Save A Life Day: Overdose Awareness Event Spreads To All 50 States

 In 2024, Save A Life Day events in 35 states distributed 84,000 doses of Naloxone.

This year, the event, intended to stop overdoses from becoming fatalities, will take place in all 50 states. 

There will be 17 events in Kanawha County alone on Thursday, according to local organizers.

A sudden burst of 35 overdoses in a 24-hour period in Charleston last week highlights the lifesaving potential of Naloxone, said Lake Sidikman, harm reduction program coordinator at the Women’s Health Center of West Virginia.

“I think everyone should be trained to know how to use it and carry it, because you truly never know when you might need to use it,” they said. 

Overdose deaths in West Virginia declined 39% in the 12 months ending in April, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Sidikman said that’s evidence that Naloxone works.