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amny.com

Save a Life. Carry Naloxone.

“Save a Life. Carry Naloxone.”

New York City Department of Health public education campaign (US-NY, New York City) around 2016-2017 promoting naloxone, available without a prescription at more than 700 city pharmacies, with ads in high-overdose neighborhoods, ferry terminals, salons and barbershops. It was part of the HealingNYC opioid plan.

Years
2016
Country
United States
Budget
$3 million public education effort, mostly from ThriveNYC (amNY).
Topic
DrugsHarm reductionOpioids
Asks people to
Start
Strategy
Simple instruction
Channel
OutdoorSocial (paid)
Audience
AdultsGeneral public

Evidence

NoneUnknown

No outcome evaluation found.

Sponsor (who paid)

  • New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene State local government, funder and creator

Credits (who made it)

Not recorded yet.

Related campaigns

Sources

  1. amNY: NYC makes naloxone available in pharmacies to combat opioid overdose deaths news
  2. DNAinfo: HealingNYC opioid plan and naloxone news · 2017
  3. Bachhuber MA et al. Messaging to Increase Public Support for Naloxone Distribution Policies in the United States: Results from a Randomized Survey Experiment. PLoS One reference · 2015 · DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0130050 · PMID 26132859
  4. Shi W et al. Public Understanding and Perception of Harm Reduction and Prevention Messaging About Fentanyl Overdoses. Subst Use Misuse reference · 2025 · DOI 10.1080/10826084.2025.2478589 · PMID 40098286
  5. Allen B et al. Delivering Opioid Overdose Prevention in Bars and Nightclubs: A Public Awareness Pilot in New York City. J Public Health Manag Pract reference · 2020 · DOI 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001014 · PMID 32238787
  6. Management and staff reception to overdose prevention in NYC nightlife venues. Health Educ J 2022 (2019 nightlife pilot) reference · 2022 · DOI 10.1177/00178969221083081

Research notes

US-NY (NYC). Launch year 2016 is from a student blog and news timing; verify with NYC DOHMH press archive. Taxonomy gap: no harm-reduction strategy/topic value. Later NYC naloxone/fentanyl campaigns are filed separately: nyc-lets-talk-fentanyl (Dec 2021-2022) and nyc-just-in-case-naloxone (May 2026). Checked 2026-10-22: no 2021+ flight under the "Save a Life. Carry Naloxone." name was found; the Health Department's September 2023 recommendation that all New Yorkers carry naloxone (politicsny, 25 Sep 2023) was a data release, not a named ad campaign. Ad library search: "NYC Health", "NYC Health Department". Procurement search 2026-10-22: NYC City Record awards (data.cityofnewyork.us dg92-zbpx) show DOHMH's agency-wide media buyer, OpAD Media Solutions / HN Media and Marketing (media buying awards 2010, 2016, 2020, 2022 USD 243.5M, 2026), and a multi-award roster of creative agencies for 'public education and media campaigns' (Bandujo Advertising and Design, Mind4/DCF Advertising, Starfish, Sherry Matthews, Vanguard Direct, DePirro/Garrone; extensions 2023-2026). Possible vendors for 2016-2017: OpAD (media) and one of the roster agencies (creative); no award names this campaign. Evaluation links reviewed 2026-10-22: removed Trayner 2023 and Sumnall 2023 (Scotland) and Luster 2025 (HEALing Communities Study); Bachhuber 2015 and Shi 2025 set to reference (general message studies); the Health Department's 2018-2019 nightlife venue fentanyl/naloxone pilot (Allen 2020; Health Educ J 2022 follow-up) is a separate effort, kept as reference.

Record cases/nyc-save-a-life-carry-naloxone.json, updated 2026-10-22· Link to this campaign