Knoxville Parents Using Billboard Campaign to Share Message of Drug Overdose Prevention

There’s a new push for people to buy and carry the anti-overdose drug naloxone. A local overdose prevention organization is rolling out a billboard campaign in Knox County because they say the area is high risk for drug overdoses and deaths.

“What we need to do as this society, as this community is be aware of how horrible this epidemic is and how kids are losing their parents and parents are losing their children,” said Donna Towe.

Towe’s daughter Taygan died of a drug overdose last year. That’s why she’s in support of a new billboard campaign on Clinton Highway using her daughter’s and others’ faces to urge people to carry naloxone and not to be afraid to call 911 if they’re with someone who overdoses.

“It was senseless. I mean she could’ve been saved with naloxone; she could’ve been saved if someone called 911, immediately,” said Towe.

Tennessee Overdose Prevention has another billboard located in Solway. They were funded by donations. The organization will be hosting an international overdose awareness event next Wednesday evening. District attorney Charme Allen is expected to be there to speak.

“Maybe someone else won’t have to go through what I went through,” said Towe.

http://wate.com/2016/08/22/knoxville-parents-using-billboard-campaign-to-share-message-of-drug-overdose-prevention/