June 6 declared National Naloxone Awareness Day, 9 years after Victoria Siegel’s death

SEMINOLE COUINTY, Fla. — “Naloxone could have saved her life,” those words today were from the sister of Victoria Siegel whose overdose in 2015 rocked their family.

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Since then, the family has been pushing to have Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, in the hands of everyone from law enforcement to teachers to parents.

Because of that fight thanks to a bipartisan resolution, today, June 6, is now called National Naloxone Awareness Day.

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“Many mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends have been lost to opioid poisoning in America. Naloxone saves lives and it is a critical tool in our fight to stop the loss caused by opioids in communities across our nation. I am proud to again lead and secure the Senate passage of this resolution with Senator Markey to designate June 6th as Naloxone Awareness Day, helping raise awareness and educate Americans about this life-saving drug,” said Senator Rick Scott, who signed the resolution. “I also want to highlight the Victoria’s Voice Foundation and the Siegel Family for the lifesaving work they do on advocacy and education about the dangers of opioids. This organization was started following a parent’s worst nightmare – the loss of a child – and they have made it their mission to ensure folks are educated and prepared to save lives.”

Here are the facts, in 2013, there were almost 108,000 drug overdoses in our country, that number doubled in the last decade. And now, the problem even more serious because 70% of drugs on the streets right now are laced with a lethal dose of fentanyl.

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That’s why this mission is more important than ever for the Siegel’s and their law enforcement partners to get Naloxone in the hands of everyone.

Just look at the numbers in Seminole county, where Sheriff Dennis Lemma has made combatting overdoses his mission in his agency and by working alongside this foundation.

In Seminole county, there has been a 29% decrease in overdoses and a 25% decrease in deaths and a 25% increase in the average person using brands like Narcan to save a life.

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“This is different than anything we have experienced before.” Sheriff Dennis Lemma said. “This is not about making bad people good; it’s about making sick people well.”

On June 6th, 75 places, along with Niagara Falls will be light up in purple and pink to mark this occasion.

“It’s a momentous day,” David Siegel JR. said.

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