During these trying times of increasing drug abuse, friends, peers and acquaintances alike are falling into this epidemic. And it only continues to get worse. People in my community suffer from addiction, and the official response falls short of our community’s needs. It’s clearer than ever before that change needs to occur.

We need to call for the need to act, beginning with our public spaces. Specifically, we call for the mandate of all public libraries to carry Naloxone (Narcan) in stock. Narcan quickly reverses opioid overdose when administered in a timely and prompt manner. The World Health Organization approximates that the administration of Narcan has successfully overturned more than 10,000 overdoses since the 90’s.

Public libraries are already seeing the effects of the crisis firsthand. According to a 2016 NIH PubMed Central study, researchers found that 12% of libraries saw at least one on-site overdose in the last year. A 2020 Public Library Quarterly study called libraries “unintentional frontlines” of the opioid crisis. Around Fairfax County, the Fairfax County Opioid and Substance Abuse Task Force reported 88 fatal overdoses involving opioids in 2022 alone, demonstrating the need and high-priority responses in Narcan distribution and public education that is required. However, these security measures are not yet instilled in public libraries. Our public libraries.

All public libraries should be supplied with Narcan by the national, state, and locality governments, and it’s not merely a matter of public health, it’s a matter of saving lives. By equipping all public libraries in Fairfax County with the lifesaving drug, we get one step closer to ensuring safety for all of the individuals in the communities. This cause means something to me personally, and I am certain that together we will bring about the change, and in the process, we will save lives. Be a signer in this important petition. Stand in opposition to reckless drug use and call for the mandatory stocking of Narcan in all of the public libraries. Sign today. Sign for you. Sign for the generations to come.

Sincerely,

Breath For All