Press Release
☷FACT SHEET Biden Harris Administration Launches the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose
White House ( By Press Release office)
Mar 15,2024
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Today , we are asking organizations and businesses of all sizes to join us in ensuring that all communities are equipped to use this life - saving tool and reduce opioid deaths . As the drug supply becomes more dangerous , we need everyone ' s help to keep communities safe . The Biden - Harris Administration is encouraging leaders to take simple measures that have been proven to work , such as training employees on opioid overdose reversal medications , keeping them in first aid kits , and distributing them to employees and customers . We invite organizations to make a commitment and share their success stories in saving lives . Today , the Biden - Harris Administration is launching the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose as part of their efforts to combat the overdose crisis . This nationwide initiative calls on all sectors to increase training and access to life - saving opioid overdose reversal medications . Overdoses can happen to anyone , anywhere , and President Biden has been working to strengthen the response from both the government and society as a whole . The administration has already taken significant action , investing over $100 billion to disrupt the drug trade and expand treatment access . Last year , the FDA approved naloxone for over - the - counter use , a crucial step in saving lives . Many organizations and businesses have already taken action across various industries . For example , the Chicago Department of Aviation has made naloxone available in AED cabinets at airports and trained security officers and police on how to use it . Seventeen US airlines have voluntarily equipped their aircraft with opioid overdose reversal medications , with Southwest Airlines leading the way by stocking naloxone in 65% of their planes and aiming for 100% coverage by the end of the year . American Airlines has also made naloxone available on every plane . The company trains flight attendants on how to handle medications , where to find them , and how to give doses with guidance from on - call doctors . Entertainment company Insomniac Events , known for organizing music festivals , is working with End Overdose to make sure naloxone is available at all their events , training over 100 , 000 attendees on overdose response . The Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association is teaming up with state agencies to provide naloxone to hotels , with a goal of every hotel having it on hand . The Alliance for Naloxone Safety in the Workplace , made up of construction organizations , is offering overdose prevention training to workers . Fishing Partnership Support Services is training fishermen and coastal community members on overdose response , leading to over 2 , 000 people in the fishing community carrying naloxone . Various construction trade organizations are training workers on substance use disorder and distributing naloxone at construction sites . Companies like Meredith Management and John Moriarty & Associates are becoming Recovery Friendly Worksites , providing overdose kits and training to employees . Now , more than 1 , 000 tradespeople in Boston are trained to handle overdoses and have access to free naloxone . Ryan Companies , a national commercial real estate services provider , has committed to distributing naloxone and providing overdose response training to its nearly 2 , 000 employees . They will also place naloxone in every first aid kit at over 300 construction sites and offices , in partnership with SAFE Project , a national nonprofit that has trained 10 , 000 people across the country . The Houston Independent School District ( HISD ) serves 185 , 000 students across 274 schools . HISD Police officers are trained on naloxone and carry it to treat any student , employee , or community member who may be experiencing an overdose . The American Library Association and the Public Library Association are providing resources to public libraries to address the overdose crisis . This includes supporting training for library staff , distributing naloxone and overdose aid kits to the public , and hosting public education programs . For instance , Michigan’s Lyon Township Public Library is collaborating with the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities and South Lyon Community Coalition to provide naloxone and overdose education and training to staff and the public . The University of Texas at Austin ( UT ) leads an opioid overdose prevention program that has provided naloxone and overdose response training to residence hall staff , campus police , and campus libraries . Naloxone is also available for free and anonymously to the entire UT Austin community . As of March 2024 , UT Austin has trained 3 , 412 students , staff , and faculty on overdose response and distributed 2 , 280 doses of naloxone . The Los Angeles Unified School District , the second largest school district in the US , has naloxone available at all K - 12 schools , early education centers , and adult education centers . School staff and healthcare personnel are trained on naloxone . Recently , district policy has allowed all students to carry naloxone at school . Since January 2023 , naloxone has been used approximately 50 times in the district to save lives . State and local transit systems such as the Denver Regional Transportation District ( RTD ) , Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ( MBTA ) , New Jersey Transit Police Department , San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit ( BART ) , Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ( SEPTA ) , and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ( WMATA ) train and equip officers and safety staff with naloxone to assist people on trains and at stations . Arlington Public Schools ( APS ) is increasing awareness of and access to naloxone . Over 2 , 000 APS staff members have been trained and now carry naloxone daily . Naloxone boxes have also been installed on every floor of all middle and high schools . APS policy now allows students in grades 9 to 12 to carry naloxone at school with parental or guardian consent , and 422 high school students have such consent . The MBTA is working to make naloxone available at all Red Line Heavy Rail Stations . These transit systems have collectively administered over 2 , 000 doses of naloxone to save lives . Expanding access to opioid overdose reversal medications is a big part of the National Drug Control Strategy , and the Biden - Harris Administration has made significant investments and taken important action over the past three years to make this happen . This includes making naloxone available over - the - counter , so people can buy it at grocery stores and pharmacies without a prescription . The FDA is also making it easier for harm reduction organizations to get naloxone directly from manufacturers and distributors . The Biden - Harris Administration has provided a lot of funding to the State Opioid Response ( SOR ) grant program , which allows states and Tribes to offer opioid overdose reversal medications for free to residents . With this funding , states and Tribes have bought nearly 10 million naloxone kits and reversed over 600 , 000 overdoses . The Biden - Harris Administration has also launched a social media campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and the importance of naloxone . They have released an updated toolkit to provide guidance on preventing and responding to overdoses . This is all about the actions that HHS has taken to fight the overdose crisis . They ' ve made some big moves , like updating regulations for opioid treatment programs to make treatment more accessible , and now grant funds can be used to buy xylazine test strips . They ' re also investing in harm reduction services , which includes distributing overdose reversal medications . President Biden wants to put an extra $100 million towards these services in his budget request . They ' re also making sure federal facilities have access to life - saving medications for overdoses . HHS and HUD are calling on public health departments and housing providers to help get these medications out to the communities that need them . The White House and the Department of Education want schools and colleges to have these medications on hand too . The Biden - Harris Administration is really stepping up when it comes to treatment and funding . They ' re investing $83 billion in treatment , which is way more than the previous administration . Saving lives is the main goal of the National Drug Control Strategy , but it ' s going to take more than just federal resources . We all need to come together to beat this crisis and protect those at risk . Check out whitehouse . gov/SaveLivesFromOverdose to join us .
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