Tulsa Nonprofit Aims To Combat Opioid Crisis By Giving Narcan

A new nonprofit organization in Tulsa is working to combat opioid overdoses. The non-profit is called “SHOTS,” which stands for, “Stop Harm on Tulsa Streets.”

"We got tired of seeing our friends die and get sick, so that's why we came together to do this,” Co-Founder Andrea Haddox said.

The group just started last October and held an event Saturday at the Equality Center. The event featured live music, a raffle and free Narcan doses for anyone who came by.

"I am a former heroin user myself,” Haddox said.

Haddox said May 1 will mark her sixth year of being clean.

According to Haddox, she wouldn't be alive without Narcan. Neither would the organization’s other co-founder, Hana Fields.

"It saved my life. There is no other way that I was going to survive," Fields said.

The two said their work is already having an impact on Tulsa streets, with 10 confirmed overdose reversals from the Narcan they've handed out with volunteers.

"It's amazing. Unbelievable,” Haddox said. “We're really happy that those people have another chance at finding recovery, hopefully, in their life at some point."

"There is absolutely hope if we can keep drug users alive long enough,” Fields said.

Just last month, Attorney General Mike Hunter pointed out statistics show 3,000 Oklahomans were admitted to the hospital last year for overdose, with 80 percent of those from prescription opioids.

Now SHOTS is taking time to educate people on how to use Narcan and how to recognize an overdose.

They say the person will be unresponsive and could have blue lips and blue fingertips.

Michelle Sizemore left the event equipped with four boxes of Narcan, ready to help.