Steps for an Emergency

As mental health is declining in our society, rates of overdoses have risen. These two are closely linked and both are attacking our communities. We are all impacted by overdosing whether that be losing someone a loved one, experiencing it ourselves or changes in our environment. Due to substance use being a consequence of declining mental health, we can not control whether people use. However, we can control whether or not there are life-saving tools for people to maintain safety. 

 Communities including and nieghboring hardcore punk, have been synonymous with drugs, whether that’s in movies where punks OD like Heroin Bob in SLC Punk or in subgenres like straight-edge hardcore, which have an anti-drug use message. Using something that brings people together provides us with an opportunity to spread the message of harm reduction within this scene. 

Narcan is something that anyone can buy in Oregon, however, do people know how to use it? Educating people about what to do in a situation where someone is overdosing is just as vital as having the medicine itself. The question we must all ask is: how many times did someone have Narcan but not know how to use it?