NARCAN: OVERDOSE DEATHS ARE PREVENTABLE, OVERDOSE IS PREVENTABLE
Artist(s): Ali Rufrano-Ruffner
Location: Philadelphia & Everywhere
Narcan reverses opioid overdoses & saves lives. Fentanyl test strips empower people and save lives.
These infographics and drawings were made to pass out to hundreds of Philly folx. What continues to break my heart is how many people told they haven’t had anyone talk to them about overdose or sometimes drugs in general beyond abstinence-only programs (which don’t work). This isn’t a problem with individuals — individuals know how deeply drugs have affected them and their communities. The US govt and structures in place (schools, universities, hospitals, community orgs) often fail to give people the information and resources they need to stay safe. I couldn’t even read the fuk’n instructions on Narcan packets, so I made my own to give to my friends because communities take care of themselves.
Please feel free to print & share this information in any of your communities. It is completely open source.
As long as I’ve been alive, drugs have deeply affected me personally, my partners I love, my friends I love, and my family I love. Drugs have deeply affected strangers I love, my neighbors I love. I grew up in a town that was deeply affected by opioids and opioid deaths - specifically heroin, oxy and percs. And watched my friends die preventable deaths. I live in a city that is deeply affected by opioids. If people had access to Narcan & Fentanyl test strips, along with support, so many people I love who have died would be here. If people had access to Narcan and test strips, I and so many people I love could have helped and been helped during overdose. Everything I have ever learned about drug help has been self-taught or taught by my friends. That’s not how it should be. No one should die from drugs.
Nothing about this should be controversial. 100,000 people in the U.S. died from overdose the last year — that’s more deaths than the toll of car crashes and gun fatalities combined. People should have access to Narcan and Fentanyl test strips so they can carry them the way they carry other necessary objects — masks, car keys, wallets, helmets, etc. Every time you go anywhere, and not just where you assume people are using — I’m talking parties, school, concerts, events, the bar, the train — you should have Narcan on you.