Philadelphia – The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Public Safety celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Naloxone in Black (NIB) initiative, which launched August 31, 2025, on the annual recognition of Overdose Awareness Day. Led by the Office’s Overdose Response Unit, in partnership with the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD),the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), and with the support of Vital Strategies, NIB is Philadelphia’s version of the nationwide “You Have the Power to Save Lives” campaign focused on overdose prevention and increased access to naloxone in Black communities.

The Naloxone in Black campaign ensures that every fire station across Philadelphia is equipped with an easy-to-use, newspaper-style naloxone distribution box stocked with free naloxone for the community. Since the launch, more than 41,000 doses of naloxone have been distributed through these easily accessible boxes on the exterior of 61 of the Fire Department buildings, where residents can take as many boxes of the life-saving resource as needed with no questions asked.

Naloxone in Black is dedicated to raising awareness about and addressing racial disparities in overdose deaths in Philadelphia and across the country. When the initiative launched, data showed that overdose fatalities among Black Philadelphians had increased by 61% between 2019 and 2023. In 2024, however, Philadelphia saw an overall 18% decrease in overdose deaths, with the largest reduction occurring among Black Philadelphians, who experienced a 27% decrease in overdose fatalities.

“Public safety doesn’t just mean responding to emergencies or preventing violence – it requires meeting the needs of our communities and ensuring people have the resources they need,” said Adam Geer, Chief Public Safety Director “I am proud to join our partners in the Fire Department, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol programs, and our national partners like Vital Strategies to celebrate the success of this initiative and take the next logical step to expand overdose prevention across all of the work OPS does. Today is about more than naloxone – it is about overdose prevention as part of how our City defines public safety.”

As part of the one-year anniversary of the Naloxone in Black initiative, the Office of Public Safety announced that overdose prevention would become a key public safety strategy across the work of all OPS Divisions, embedding that work in existing policies and programs aimed at increasing safety and reducing violence. The work to integrate overdose prevention across OPS policies and programs is being developed with support from the Partnership for Healthy Cities, a global network of more than 70 cities supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the World Health Organization and Vital Strategies.

“Today’s celebration of the success of the Naloxone in Black initiative after just one year of implementation shows the power of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s ONE PHILLY, A UNTED CITY philosophy,” said Carlton Williiams, Managing Director. “Not only is this critical initiative uniting several of the City’s departments in the fight to decrease overdoses, but it also adds the State, a global public health organization and the community participation to ensure its reach and impact grow year after year.”

“The Shapiro Administration’s partnership with the city of Philadelphia exemplifies the Administration’s collaborative approach to overdose prevention and making naloxone more readily available to those we need to reach the most,” said DDAP Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones. “I’m confident we will continue to meet people where they are and remove barriers to access through the Naloxone in Black initiative – ultimately saving lives.”

“The Naloxone in Black initiative strengthens Philadelphia’s ability to respond to the opioid crisis by placing a lifesaving tool directly in our communities. Every person equipped with naloxone has the potential to intervene during a critical moment. The Philadelphia Fire Department is proud to support an initiative that empowers residents, expands access, and reinforces a simple message: saving lives is a responsibility we all share,” said Martin W. McCall, Deputy Commissioner for Emergency Medical Services, Philadelphia Fire Department.

Also in recognition of Overdose Awareness Day, PhillyStat360 partnered with OPS Overdose Response Unit to develop a new StoryMap feature so Philadelphians can understand and explore how the city supports communities with lifesaving tools, resources and care through its door-to-door canvassing program, “Overdose Prevention at the Doorstep.” Explore the new StoryMap feature on the PhillyStat website.

Along with Naloxone in Black, further information and resources on naloxone including background on what naloxone is, when and how to administer it, and treatment options can all be found on the City’s website.