New Film: "Reach for Me: Fighting to End America's Drug Overdose Epidemic"

I posted on OPA recently with a preview cut, and I'm very happy to say that we've now launched the final version of our film Reach for Me: Fighting to End America's Drug Overdose Epidemic and our accompanying website. The film  looks at how naloxone pricing, production shortages, and the lack of government support are affecting overdose prevention efforts around the United States. 

We interviewed 30 people, including a number of regular OPA contributors, representing California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Louisiana, Michican, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin and more. In addition to the full length (but still just 15 min!) film, we're posting everyone's complete interviews, as well as, soon, a 3 minute version.  

The goal is to use the film as a platform for education and advocacy in order to push for universal access to opioid overdose prevention education and take-home naloxone for those who need it. To that end, over coming weeks on the website we'll be rolling out more advocacy tools and a petition aimed at U.S. federal funding. 

The film was produced by Sawbuck Productions, a Chicago-based nonprofit documentary film company that works on issues related to harm reduction, and which is headed up by Greg Scott & Erin Scott. Eliza Wheeler of HRC and the DOPE Project also contributed magnificently, and Nigel Brunsdon of the UK-based Injecting Advice and HIT did the website. The Open Society Foundations generously contributed to production and distribution costs.  

Help us spread the word further by liking our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/reach4me) and following us on Twitter (@reach4us). We especially want to build awareness outside the harm reduction community.  

For those of you in the U.S., if you'd like a copy on DVD, please follow this link. We'd also be happy to arrange local screenings and discussion -- please be in touch through the contact link on the reach4me.org site if you'd like to do so.