Philadelphia – Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), Philadelphia’s Office of Public Safety’s Overdose Response Unit (ORU), and first responders from the Philadelphia Fire Department launched an initiative - Naloxone in Black - to address the increasing numbers of overdoses among Black Pennsylvanians by placing free, low-barrier naloxone boxes throughout the city.
Naloxone is a medication approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by quickly restoring breathing to an individual if their breathing has slowed or stopped.
The naloxone for the initiative is funded and supplied through DDAP’s Overdose Prevention Program. Nearly 50,000 doses of Narcan®, which is a common brand of naloxone that comes as a nasal spray will be stocked within newspaper-style boxes across Philadelphia’s city fire stations.
“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. “Access to naloxone is critical because this medication is truly live saving.”
In total, 61 distribution boxes will be placed outside of each fire station. ORU is providing each fire station with an aluminum newspaper-style box. Each box will contain up to 200 kits of Narcan® with each kit containing two doses of the medication. Information on how to use naloxone, safe storage information, and a language guide offering guidance on how to talk about substance use in a non-judgmental way will also be included in each box. All contents in the boxes are free.
“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 for Philadelphia’s Office of Public Safety. “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 bring this resource to every neighborhood across the city. It is our shared responsibility as Philadelphians to care for each other and the Naloxone in Black campaign is one way we can do that.”
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, overdose death rates among communities of color continue to remain higher rates than among white and non-Hispanic individuals. In 2024, Black Pennsylvanians died from an overdose at a rate that was 2 times higher than white Pennsylvanians.
Overdose Prevention Program
DDAP’s program, which uses a hub-and-spoke model, provides free harm reduction and overdose prevention supplies, including naloxone, to organizations throughout Pennsylvania known as overdose prevention partners. Across Pennsylvania, there are nearly 100 prevention partners that serve as “hubs,” creating a network of local access points for individuals, community-based groups, and others to get free naloxone and test strips to check drugs for xylazine and fentanyl.
Across Philadelphia, there are currently five DDAP overdose prevention partners:
- PA Harm Reduction Network
- Philadelphia Department of Public Health
- Philadelphia Single County Authority
- Prevention Point Philadelphia
- Savage Sisters.
All overdose prevention partners can be located through DDAP’s website. In the first six months of 2025, DDAP distributed over 400,000 doses of naloxone through the Overdose Prevention Program. Over two million doses have been distributed across Pennsylvania since July 2023.
24/7 Help
Individuals seeking substance use treatment or recovery supports can be connected to local SUD resources by calling the toll-free PA Get Help Now helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or by using Treatment Atlas, a free, online or smart phone locator tool to help Pennsylvanians confidentially find SUD treatment that meets their needs.
In addition, local treatment programs are administered through county drug and alcohol offices called Single County Authorities. These programs can help with treatment funding, assess the need for treatment or other services, and make referrals to match treatment and/or service needs.
Learn more about the Shapiro Administration’s efforts in combating the overdose crisis at ddap.pa.gov.
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