(The Center Square) — Save a Life Day began in two counties in West Virginia in 2020 but expanded on Thursday to all 13 Appalachian states, including Virginia and Maryland, for the first-ever Appalachian Save a Life Day, providing Narcan and other drug overdose prevention to members of their communities.
Appalachian Save a Life Day attempts to stand in the gap in those times where addiction would otherwise have the final say. Over 300 locations participated, most in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, but two in Virginia and 20 in Maryland.
For Virginia, state and federal agencies awarded grants to organizations located in Roanoke and Portsmouth, two of 10 independent cities and counties where deaths by overdoses are highest in the state, with rates falling between 71 and 128 per 100,000 residents, according to data from 2021, the latest year reflected on the Virginia Department of Health’s website.
The Roanoke Valley Collective Response and Portsmouth Behavioral Health Services learned of the day through the grants they received; the former, through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the latter, a $300,000 grant through the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
The event strives to prevent death by overdose by providing harm reduction measures for drug users, like boxes of Narcan, or Naloxone, the opioid-overdose-reversing medicine, and test strips for substances like fentanyl, xylazine or benzodiazepines, which often cause overdoses because they’re laced in users’ other drugs without them knowing.
Bailey Helgeson, one of the organizers of the Roanoke event eager to help others and herself in her fourth year of addiction recovery, believes passionately in drug users having access to emergency resources and harm reduction tools.
“We know that harm reduction services work…They’re proven to lower death rates. There are other options, too, to keep people alive. We just hope that it’s one line of defense,” Helgeson told The Center Square.
Another service provided to guests in Roanoke is Mobile Acudetox. It’s five points of acupuncture in the ear that can help with opiate withdrawal – and did help Helgeson in her journey.
“Acudetox is five points of acupuncture in the ear that was discovered in the seventies to be really, really great for opiate withdrawal…I received acudetox when I first got clean, and it’s amazing… It really relaxes you and does a whole lot for all of the withdrawal symptoms that can be really awful,” Helgeson said.
Partners of Portsmouth Social Services Department, where Portsmouth’s event was held, also offered HIV, Hepatitis C and syphilis rapid tests.
Michelle Winz, senior epidemiologist at the Virginia Department of Health who oversees overdose prevention work in Portsmouth, spoke to The Center Square about the trends she’s seeing.
“Since the pandemic, our overall overdose deaths have gone up more than 70%,” Winz said. “The majority of those – more than 90% – are opioids. Fentanyl is the primary one that we’re seeing. We don’t have the data yet on xylazine, but we have heard from our partners that xylazine is on scene in the Hampton Roads area.”
Helgeson and Winz agreed that the community is the ultimate saving force for the drug-addicted. It’s what’s gotten Helgeson to this point, she says, which is why peer recovery specialists – certified counselors who worked their way out of addiction and can help others looking to do the same – and behavioral health specialists were present at the events.
“When I finally asked for help and got it and was connected to other people who were looking for recovery, that’s what helped me. That’s what we’re hoping events like this will do,” Helgeson said.
The Roanoke team prepared for 200 guests and ultimately distributed 50 boxes of Narcan. Portsmouth assembled 400 kits but expected about 200-300 guests.
The Center Square did not receive a response from an event contact in Maryland in time for publication. Most Maryland events were held in the Hagerstown area.
