Metro Philadelphia

Pennsylvania is expanding access to naloxone in Philadelphia through an initiative aimed at reducing overdose deaths among Black residents.

The state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced Monday that it will provide thousands of additional doses of the opioid overdose-reversal medication for the city’s Naloxone in Black program.

Since August 2025, more than 41,000 doses of naloxone supplied by the state have been distributed through 60 Philadelphia fire stations. The medication is available to the public for free through newspaper-style boxes placed outside participating stations.

The initiative is a partnership between the Shapiro Administration, Philadelphia’s Office of Public Safety’s Overdose Response Unit and the Philadelphia Fire Department. The state supplies the naloxone, while the city’s Overdose Response Unit distributes it to participating fire stations.

Each box can hold up to 200 naloxone kits, with two doses in each kit, according to state officials. The boxes also include instructions for how to use the medication and safe-storage information. All contents in the boxes are free to the general public.  

“Making naloxone more readily available to those we need to reach the most is truly life-saving,” Pennsylvania DDAP Secretary Latika Davis-Jones said in a statement.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, preliminary 2025 data show that Black Pennsylvanians died from drug overdoses at more than twice the rate of white Pennsylvanians.

Philadelphia Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer said the initiative is part of a broader approach to strengthening public safety across the city and state.

“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,” Geer said. 

Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a proclamation recognizing Aug. 31 as Overdose Awareness Day in Pennsylvania. The day honors people who have died from overdoses and raises awareness about overdose prevention.

Statewide, overdose deaths have declined by nearly 30% since 2023, according to DDAP. The department also reports more than 17,600 overdose reversals using state-supplied naloxone.

DDAP distributes free naloxone and drug test strips through a network of 100 overdose prevention partners across Pennsylvania. The test strips can detect the presence of fentanyl and xylazine.

Five DDAP overdose prevention partners currently operate in Philadelphia: the PA Harm Reduction Network, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia Single County Authority, Prevention Point Philadelphia and Savage Sisters.

People seeking substance use treatment or recovery services can call the Pennsylvania Get Help Now helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Treatment Atlas, a free online and mobile tool, also allows Pennsylvanians to search for substance use disorder treatment options.

Local treatment services are also available through county drug and alcohol offices, known as Single County Authorities.

MORE: Fatal overdoses down in Philly, but fentanyl and xylazine deaths surge

Keywords

naloxone,

overdose prevention,

Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania,

Shapiro Administration,

Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs,

public health