N.B. harm reduction group’s new music video shows naloxone administration steps

A harm reduction group in Saint John uses a popular cover song to help someone going through an overdose.

The song “Save Me” by award-winning artist Jelly Roll has inspired one Saint John, N.B., non-profit organization to write their own lyrics to the powerful melody.

Avenue B Harm Reduction has released a new music video for the song with the title changed slightly to “S.A.V.E. M.E.” and the words changed to outline the steps of administering naloxone to someone suffering from a drug overdose.

The “S” stands for stimulation by trying to get a reaction out of the person who you believe is suffering from an overdose.

“A” is for airway, which means ensuring the person is breathing.

“V” stands for ventilation by giving the person a breath of air similar to when performing CPR every five seconds.

The “E” is for evaluation, to see if the person is breathing on their own.

If the person is not breathing on their own, then comes time to mediate (“M”) by administering the naloxone into a person through either their buttocks or thigh. Naloxone can be administered through clothing.

The final “E” represents evaluation again, while also supporting the person until first responders arrive.

Before the “S.A.V.E. M.E.” steps, it is important to always call 911 if you suspect someone is overdosing.

“I’ve had every funder and supporter reach out to us, a lot of other executive directors, folks that are doing the work and saying this is impactful,” says Avenue B’s executive director, Laura MacNeill, on what reactions the video has gotten so far.

Across all platforms, the video has amassed nearly 30,000 views.

“It’s been wonderful to hear how many people it’s resonating with across political lines too,” MacNeill says. “We haven’t received one negative comment, which is surprising because there’s a lot of misconception around harm reduction generally.”

The revised lyrics are performed by office manager Chris Reicker, who has plenty of experience writing and performing music.

He said the lyrics came natural with the hit Jelly Roll song and only took a few hours to write. Given the song’s importance message, Reicker says it ranks among the projects he’s most proud of.

“We wanted to focus on making the steps memorable and easy to remember because it’s a song that people already know,” Reicker says. “It’s a really emotional song and a catchy song, so one of our main hopes was that if one person remembers one of the steps from this song, then that can be the difference between saving a life and not.”

Allie Myles is an outreach coordinator at Avenue B and says the steps laid out in the song are very accurate and informative.

She has worked on Waterloo Street for three years and says overdose responses are more prevalent than ever.

“I just hope that it opens people’s eyes to what’s happening on the street and how everybody deserves to live,” she says.

Reicker said he has a similar hope. when asked what he wants people to take away from the song, outside of the naloxone steps.

He also notes that the song was produced for everyone, not just harm reduction workers, like the Avenue B team.

“Anyone can save a life and it’s easier than you think,” Reicker says. “It’s for the bystanders walking down the street, and it’s for the people who are using to know that they deserve to have hopes and dreams. They deserve to have a future.”

As of Tuesday, MacNeill said they hadn’t heard any reaction from the artist who inspired the video.

She points out the Grammys did just happen, and the fact that Jelly Roll supports naloxone and other harm reduction initiatives.

“I feel like it’s only a matter of time,” MacNeill said, smiling.

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