West Virginia
Narcan for all: West Virginia's role in the largest free naloxone day
Charleston, West Virginia Councilman-at-large and SOAR WV co-director Joe Solomon underscored the importance of the event, saying, “This work saves lives. Everybody deserves to live.”
Last year, Save a Life Day distributed over 45,000 doses of naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, across events in 180 counties throughout all 13 Appalachian states. According to SOAR WV, in 2022, the 26 states east of the Mississippi River accounted for nearly two-thirds (64.5%) of the nation’s overdose fatalities.
James Berry, DO, a psychiatrist specializing in addiction treatment at West Virginia University, debunked the misconception that naloxone enables addiction and explained how the medication works.
A list of participating states and counties for Save a Life Day can be found at www.soarwv.org/east.