FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2024 (Charleston, WV) — The Drug Intervention Institute has announced that it has officially joined as a member of TEMPO (Training and Empowering Musicians to Prevent Overdoses), an initiative of the music industry giant Gibson and The Gibson Gives Foundation. TEMPO is an overdose prevention program focused on harm reduction and naloxone distribution for musicians, music venues, and the industries that support musicians, i.e., Tour Bus Providers, Cartage Companies, Lighting and Rigging Companies, Rehearsal Facilities, and Venues.
Earlier this year, TEMPO teamed up with the DII to offer ONEbox™ opioid emergency response kits--which contain two doses of the opioid reversal medication naloxone (Kloxxado®)—to 72+ live music venues in the Nashville, TN metro area. Since that time, this initiative has expanded to music venues in other cities, including Knoxville, TN, and Athens, GA.
ONEbox™ (Opioid Naloxone Emergency Box) is a self-contained, video-enabled opioid overdose rescue response first aid kit that contains two doses of the opioid reversal medication naloxone, along with personal protective equipment and video instruction (in English and Spanish) that are activated when ONEbox™ is opened. ONEbox™ was invented by West Virginia native and entrepreneur Joe Murphy, who created the box after seeing the devastation the opioid crisis caused in his hometown community.
“Drug overdoses caused by fentanyl are now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45,” explained Dr. Susan Bissett, President of the Drug Intervention Institute and Distributor of ONEbox™. “It’s important that we proliferate the United States with naloxone in the same way Fentynal has proliferated our nation’s drug supply. In addition, we must equip communities with the education and training needed to respond to overdose anywhere it might occur—including at music venues, concerts, and festivals. We are proud to officially join TEMPO and support their initiatives in the music industry that support the need for naloxone training and distribution for at-risk groups.”
This partnership comes at a time when lethal overdoses are on the rise globally and have reached an all-time high in the U.S. (CDC, Drug Overdose Deaths in the U.S. Top 100,000 annually). Awareness and action have never been more critical. Overdose deaths are preventable through the timely administration of naloxone--a safe, effective, and easy-to-administer medication that reverses opioid overdoses and helps save lives.
“Losing even one musician to overdose is too many, said Dendy Jarrett, Director of Gibson Gives. “TEMPO’s mission is to create a network of trained musicians (and anyone tethered to the music industry) to use naloxone so they will be empowered to save lives in the event they discover someone in the midst of an overdose. We are so proud to continue our relationship with Susan, Joe, and the team at the Drug Intervention Institute.”
To date, over 8,000 ONEbox units have been deployed across 40 states, with over 125 confirmed lives saved, including two at music venues. WV DII has joined TEMPO to support their mission of saving the lives of those in the music industry.
For more information about TEMPO, ONEbox, or the other initiatives of the WV DII, contact Dr. Susan Bissett at 304-941-4182 or email susan@wvdii.org.
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About the Drug Intervention Institute
Located in Charleston, WV, the mission of the Drug Intervention Institute is to reduce opioid and drug-related deaths in Appalachia and the nation by (a) preventing substance use through education (b) reducing overdose through training and distribution related to naloxone and other opioid reversal agents, and (c) supporting harm reduction and other drug-response efforts.
About ONEbox
The ONEbox™ is managed and distributed by the Drug Intervention Institute, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Charleston, West Virginia with the mission of reducing overdose deaths. The Institute has provided some of the product for this project through private grant funding. For more information, visit: https://www.wvdii.org/onebox.
About Gibson Gives:
For over 130 years, the iconic and leading American instrument brand Gibson has been shaping sound across generations and genres. Gibson, and its charitable arm Gibson Gives believe in the power of music, and that getting instruments into the hands of those with a desire to make music is a life-changing event. Gibson Gives--a 501(c)(3) is committed to making the world a better place by supporting non-profit organizations and developing programs in our efforts to advance musicians through music education, and health and wellness initiatives worldwide. Gibson Gives is committed to cultivating LGBTQ-inclusive partnerships and offering steadfast support for all communities. 100% of all donations to and from Gibson Gives go towards giving the gift of music. In the last three years, Gibson Gives has raised over $4.5 million dollars and enabled $46 million in funding for key organizations through product donations and meaningful giving worldwide. For more information, visit: www.gibsongives.org.