By Michael K. Frisby and Tahira Malik
Just a few years ago, the drug overdose crisis had Milwaukee in a chokehold — fentanyl creeping into the drug supply, lives being lost in minutes, and families torn apart before they even knew what hit them.
Our efforts have not been in vain. We are making significant strides: Overdose deaths have decreased by 33% in the past two years, mainly due to the life-saving antidote naloxone. However, there is still work to be done as overdose deaths continue to affect Black communities disproportionately.
As a vocal leader of the ‘You Have the Power to Save Lives’ campaign, Malik is a staunch advocate for harm reduction and the founder of Samad’s House, a collection of sober living homes for women on Milwaukee’s north side. She is a key figure in the effort to reduce drug overdose deaths, working closely with the Milwaukee Health Department and others. Their local coalition has successfully convinced all city and county law enforcers and emergency services to carry naloxone, an overdose-reversing medicine that saves lives. They are also mobilizing community establishments – including bars, barber shops, restaurants, and retail outlets – to place vendor boxes with free naloxone. This is a community effort, and your involvement is crucial.
Now, their mission is shifting: They are convincing community residents to carry naloxone so they can respond and save a life if someone overdoses. She said that infomercials filmed as part of the You Have the Power to Save Lives campaign flood social media, raising awareness of naloxone. This summer, the coalition will be engaging in the local festivals, providing opportunities to educate thousands of people. The campaign will have vendor booths at these events, with You Have the Power to Save Lives branded banners, tablecloths, brochures, and naloxone kits that residents can take home with them.
“Juneteenth marks an important moment for overdose prevention, as Black voices continue to reclaim their past by honoring their ancestors who fought through resistance of past degradation to restore hope by providing the power to save lives,” she said. “Everything that we do will be centered around putting the power back into the hands of the people so that they know that they have the power to save lives.”
She has a long-term strategy to turn the tide against Black overdose deaths, and it relies heavily on community support and participation. This is a fight that requires a coalition; together, we can make a significant difference.
Put the message where people can’t ignore it.
Billboards work. Bus stop ads work. That reminder on a gas pump, which says, “Carry Naloxone. Save a Life,” works. People need to see this information everywhere, every day. It plants a seed. Someone driving home from work might not think much about an overdose-prevention sign today, but when their cousin, their neighbor, or their friend is in trouble, that’s when it clicks. That’s when they remember that they have the power to save a life because of naloxone. We need more of these messages in more places in the Black community.
Emphasize humanity in this fight.
Addiction doesn’t just live in back alleys or abandoned houses. It’s in our families. It’s in our neighborhoods. People pretend not to see it, but it’s there. Quite literally, every single person in this city knows someone who has a drug problem. We need to share stories of Black people helping other Black people. One of the saddest things I’ve seen is cases where bystanders hesitate to call 911 during an overdose due to fear of legal consequences. People need to be aware of Good Samaritan laws, which protect those who offer medical help in an overdose situation. Above all, we must rekindle our humanity to step forward and lend a helping hand.
Know the signs. Save a life.
Overdoses don’t always look dramatic. Someone may be slumped in a chair, not responding, snoring strangely, or breathing slowly, with their lips turning blue. If more people were aware of those signs and intervened, more people would be alive today. Anyone can be trained to recognize the symptoms and use naloxone, which rapidly reverses opioid overdoses (Narcan is one brand name). Knowledge like that is power. It turns bystanders into lifesavers. You can carry naloxone in your car or your purse. Make it something you never leave the house without.
Shame kills. Compassion heals.
Stigma is almost as deadly as any drug. It keeps people from asking for help. It makes them hide their addiction until it’s too late. We need to foster a community of compassion and understanding, where people feel safe to seek help and support. Addiction isn’t a moral failing. It’s an illness. And just like we wouldn’t shame someone for needing an inhaler or an EpiPen, we shouldn’t tolerate people being shamed for carrying naloxone or seeking treatment.
Educate. Educate. Educate.
Fentanyl isn’t just a cheap heroin substitute anymore. It’s in cocaine, it’s pressed into fake prescription pills. What’s harmful, particularly for Black men, is that users tend to prefer stimulants like crack cocaine at higher rates than whites. When fentanyl is mixed in, it creates a potentially deadly speedball effect that overstimulates the heart while simultaneously depressing the respiratory system. But too many people in my community think, “I don’t do opioids, so I’m safe.” That’s a lie, and it’s a deadly one.
“Harm reduction isn’t just for opioid users anymore,” Malik said. “It’s for anyone who abuses just about any substance.”
Notably, the progress being made is real, she said. “Overdoses don’t make headlines like they used to, but that doesn’t mean they’ve stopped. The struggle continues. Harm reduction works.
Naloxone works. Education works. But only if they reach the people who need them when they need them.”
(Tahira Malik, founder and CEO of Samad’s House, is a local leader of the Vital Strategies “You Have the Power to Save Lives” campaign to increase naloxone in Black communities. Michael K. Frisby, a former award-winning White House Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, is President of Frisby & Associates, and a media strategist for the You Have the Power to Save a Life campaign. Malik first wrote about steps to saving lives in an article for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.)