JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Transportation Authority and Drug Free Duval held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for a new branded bus which will provide free opioid overdose prevention training and Narcan doses to high-risk communities.
The ceremony was held at Jacksonville Transportation Center in the LaVilla area. The life-saving “Safety on the Move” bus is the first of its kind in the country.
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“We all know drug overdoses and overdose deaths continue to increase across Florida and the United States and in 2022 JTA proactively partnered with Drug Free Duval to establish an opioid overdose prevention program, this program was to create a beacon of hope,” said Nathaniel Ford, CEO of JTA.
Partners in the initiative include the Jacksonville Community Coalition Alliance, Center for Disease Control Overdose Response Strategy, and the DEA High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
“This is a hard fight we have, it’s really hard and we don’t get a lot of support. People don’t really like to talk about drugs, it’s not pretty,” said Susan Pittman, founder of Drug Free Duval.
Last year presented a proven need for the bus with 1,833 fatal opioid overdoses in Florida, according to Florida Health Charts Substance Use Dashboard.
If you or someone you know needs help with an opioid addiction -- you can contact the National Drug Helpline at 1-844-289-0879.