Project Opioid's CEO stresses awareness and access to Narcan in combating overdoses

Overdoses from opioids surged during the COVID pandemic, and Project Opioid’s CEO Andrae Bailey wants more people to pay attention. 

This week Bailey’s organization launched a campaign that puts public service announcements on billboards throughout Central Florida, directing people to resources where they can get help. 

Bailey says if people are addicted to opioids but are not able to get a prescription, “they’re going to move to the streets, they’re going to buy dangerous, dangerous versions of those opioids that will at some point, cause them to overdose and kill them.”

The billboards highlight the dangers of fentanyl and include links to  online resources.

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“We want to show them that there’s options available, available medications they can take that can curb their withdrawals,” says Bailey.

Bailey also wants to make Narcan, an nasal spray form of the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, more widely available.

"Narcan is the drug a lot of people are just learning about, it will … save them or a loved one from an overdose. We make that Narcan available for free at the Everyone Campaign website,” he says.

Bailey says he is pushing for legislation to expand access to Narcan in Florida, along with funding for “medication assisted treatment” for people dealing with addiction to opioids.

“These are powerful drugs. It’s not like asking someone to not have Krispy Kreme doughnuts on their drive home from work. When you have been given these opioids and your body is dependent on them, we have to think about what are the alternatives for people when they get cut off,” Bailey says.

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