Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Ten years ago, Indiana took a bold and compassionate step in addressing the opioid crisis when it passed Aaron’s Law, a first-of-its-kind bill removing barriers to naloxone, the life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses. Born from personal tragedy, the law has become a model for harm-reduction access nationwide.
Since the passage of Aaron’s Law in 2015, Overdose Lifeline has distributed more than 1 million naloxone kits, installed vending machines across the state and placed publicly accessible NaloxBoxes in all 92 counties. These efforts have saved thousands of lives. But access alone isn’t enough. If we want to continue turning the tide on overdoses, we must prioritize naloxone training.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported a historic 27% decline in overdose deaths across the country, a promising step after years of loss. Yet overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 44. Behind every data point is a family, a future and a community forever changed. As someone who lost my 20-year-old son Aaron to a heroin overdose, I know that heartbreak firsthand.
Naloxone training is about more than just emergency response. It’s a tool for changing culture, teaching compassion and reducing stigma and building bridges to recovery. Not only does knowing how to administer naloxone prepare someone to save a life, it sends the powerful message that every life is worth saving.
Earlier this year in Indianapolis, a student overdosed after unknowingly using a vape pen laced with fentanyl. Thanks to prior naloxone training, school nurses were prepared to respond immediately and save the student’s life. Since then, we have seen an increase in schools and communities inquiring about naloxone training. They want to be ready. They want to protect kids.
At Overdose Lifeline, we have trained thousands of Hoosiers, including educators, public safety officials, health care workers and so many more. We’ve partnered with state agencies and local organizations to distribute tools and resources statewide. But we cannot do this work alone. We need business leaders, city officials and institutions of every kind to step up.
If you’re an employer, consider offering naloxone training for your staff. If you manage a public venue, make naloxone accessible. If you’re a policymaker, ensure training is funded alongside distribution. Harm reduction doesn’t just happen in clinics. It happens in break rooms, classrooms, churches and neighborhoods.
Indiana helped lead the way with Aaron’s Law. But laws alone don’t save lives; people do. Let’s honor that legacy by making naloxone training as common as CPR certification. We should be prepared to protect one another.•
__________
Phillips is the founder of Overdose Lifeline and a national advocate for family-centered harm reduction.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.