OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – A few months ago, CBS News Detroit gave you a look at dozens Save A Life stations are located throughout Oakland County.
Recently, Stacie Burns, a Harm Reduction Specialist from Alliance of Coalitions, the nonprofit behind this initiative, allowed us to tag along to see what the response to these resources has been.
“I ended up getting pills from a friend, which, like everyone else’s story, started with pills turning into heroin, and I started advocating once I got off heroin because I wanted to show people that we do indeed recover. Burns said.
Alysia Burgio – CBS Detroit
Stacie Burns has been heroin-free for eleven years.
“For me, I believe that an addict always has a chance to recover as long as they have air in their lungs,” Burns said.
Now she’s on a mission. She charges three times a week free resources to help people battling substance abuse. The drugs include Narcan, an overdose drug that can cost $50 or more without a prescription.
“Our hope is that they will get to a point where they need help, get clean and sober and start living the best version of themselves,” Burns said.
In May, dozens of Narcan stations were spread across Oakland County as part of an initiative by the nonprofit Alliance of Coalitions.
Burns’ role is to inventory and replenish supplies.
One of the stations, outside a medical center in Royal Oak, is usually wiped down every week, according to Burns.
RELATED LINK: Narcan stations in Oakland County offer free resources and testing
Reporter: “Was this pretty empty when you showed up?”
Stacie: “It was completely empty. There were no more Narcan, no more Xylazine test strips… we were okay with the resources, and our Fentanyl test strips are down to 50, and we normally keep 100.”
To put things into perspective, last week alone, Burns distributed nearly 600 boxes of Narcan throughout the community.
Reporter: “What did you find most surprising?”
Stacie: “Some areas where there wasn’t even one box left. Surprisingly, you would think these are the inner cities, and that’s not the truth.”
Across the state, the nonprofit reports more than 13,000 people have overdosed and been rescued by emergency services so far this year.
Alysia Burgio – CBS Detroit
While these Narcan stations prove that addiction is still very real, the organization hopes to see positive responses like this.
“The people in the community, whether they are actively using or have a family member in recovery, they absolutely love that these machines are available for the public to just grab and use; we created this little barrier yesterday. , when I was in Pontiac, a girl literally came up to me and literally said someone down the street had overdosed, and they went straight to the Save A Life station, got the Narcan and reversed an overdose, Burns said.
For Burns, it’s personal. Break the stigma around addiction…save a life.
“People ask me why I do this, and I always tell them because someone gave me a chance, so now it’s my responsibility to give other people theirs too,” Burns said.
Organization officials say at least 17 more Save A Life stations will be spread across Oakland County in the next 30 to 45 days.
RELATED LINK: Increase in use of free Narcan stations in Oakland County
Alysia Burgio
