By Stacy Burleson
When Vital Strategies organized community leaders to address drug overdose deaths in the Black community, I eagerly joined the cause. This work is crucial in a community where the Black population lacks sufficient leaders, organizations, and centers to develop and support initiatives that improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.
Our state is known as the Land of Enchantment, a place with stunning settings, diverse landscapes, and rich cultural heritage. However, for Black residents, New Mexico is very challenging. The state has a long history of colonization and displacement—Native American tribes originally inhabited it before Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century.
The diverse makeup of New Mexico includes Indigenous peoples, Hispanics, and European descendants, a demographic mix that creates a sense of exclusion for Black residents and our communities. We lack representation and visibility. While there are prominent Hispanic and Native American communities, the Black population in New Mexico is relatively small (less than 3%). There are fewer resources, support systems, and opportunities for the Black population, which is often an afterthought for the other communities.
These circumstances contribute to a disproportionate number of Black residents dying from drug overdoses. New Mexico’s drug overdose death rate has been one of the highest in the nation for most of the last two decades. But overdose deaths have declined 8% statewide since 2021, when overdose deaths peaked at 1,029 deaths, according to data compiled by the epidemiology team at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH). However, for the Black population, needless overdose deaths continue. In Bernalillo County (Albuquerque), there were 70.2 overdose deaths per 100,000 Black residents from 2017 to 2021.
The You Have the Power to Save Lives campaign launched in March. Vital Strategies is accomplishing what we couldn’t do alone: organizing community, clergy, and civic leaders to raise awareness that the life-saving medicine naloxone is available at more locations in our community. To save lives, we must ensure that families and individuals are aware of its availability and how to use it effectively.
At the core of the campaign are personal stories of individuals directly affected by overdose deaths. Their narratives are powerful pleas to keep naloxone readily available to save friends and loved ones who may overdose on opioids, such as heroin, fentanyl, or prescribed medications. Community and government partners in Albuquerque are increasing free access to naloxone. The campaign aims to raise awareness among residents about the availability of naloxone. Through a campaign website, YouCanSaveLives.org, we link with an Albuquerque website and other cities that provide specific information on obtaining free naloxone.
Stacy Burleson
Naloxone is a life-saving, over-the-counter medication that reverses opioid overdoses. Often administered as a nasal spray, naloxone is a safe and easy-to-use medication that is available for free at many community locations. Opioids relieve pain by attaching to and activating specific receptors in the brain. Naloxone reverses opioid overdoses by blocking the receptors and preventing opioids from attaching. Naloxone can be administered via nasal spray without requiring specialized training. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reported that in over 40% of opioid overdose deaths in 2018, a bystander was nearby, and nearly 19,000 lives could have been saved if naloxone had been administered. Think of carrying naloxone as similar to having an EpiPen, which can protect friends and family with allergies.
In Albuquerque, there is a significant lack of education about naloxone and the extent of the overdose issues in Black communities. I came to New Mexico from Texas in 1997. Drugs were everywhere. I became a dealer, was arrested, and spent six years in prison. I was never a serious user, only briefly in prison after my mother and son died. When I was released, I was committed to helping address the drug problems in the community.
I didn’t know that it would hit so close to home. My oldest daughter was hooked on fentanyl. She’s a great mother, but fell in with the wrong crowd.
When I was selling drugs, I didn’t realize that drugs would impact families for generations. Now, after going through pain and suffering with my daughter, I realize the damage it does. A single dealer can ruin 500 families. I didn’t know about the sleepless nights that parents go through, often staying up, waiting for the phone call that their loved one is alive. Instead of pushing drugs, I could have been fighting against drugs.
But maybe it was supposed to be this way. My experience has driven my commitment to helping others. As executive director of the Women in Leadership organization, we empower and inspire women involved in the criminal justice system to develop self-advocacy skills, enabling them to become leaders through personal and professional growth.
The You Have the Power to Save Lives campaign gathers leaders to help overcome barriers, such as the lack of adequate education about opioid overdoses. One of our biggest challenges is convincing families and individuals that there is a drug crisis in our community. Frequently, people say that this is not a Black issue. They perceive overdose deaths to be a problem in white communities. I try to explain that opioids, such as fentanyl, do not discriminate. They can kill anyone.
Another complaint from the community is that crack cocaine devastated Black communities, but we got little support to help families and individuals through those struggles. Yet, when white people started dying, suddenly, there was an opioid crisis for the nation to confront. In fact, a Science Direct article noted that in major U.S. cities, the Black population has less access to free naloxone compared to the white population.
In my work with the community, I emphasize that Black youths and adults are dying today from overdoses. These are more than statistics. They are friends, relatives, and neighbors. We must focus on saving our people. That’s why the You Have the Power to Save Lives campaign is so important. It’s pulling us together, creating a robust coalition to save lives.
(Stacy Burleson is the Executive Director of Women in Leadership. She is a key partner in the “You Have the Power to Save Lives” naloxone campaign. The campaign’s launch press conference and rally took place on Wednesday, March 26. Here is a link to the video. Click HERE to view.)