Burning Man Plan B 2021 was a massive success for us & we are so excited to share with our whole team our experiences on playa! From Monday August 30th to Saturday September 4th we had two volunteers on playa distributing over 250+ doses of NARCAN Nasal Spray. This undertaking was only made possible by the efforts of Annastasia who was on-site doing the distributing & education to key members of different camps on playa, by Karen who is one of our dedicated volunteers for getting us over 100+ doses of NARCAN which we were able to distribute, & with the help of Jerimiah who is part of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention group based in Denver who was able to contribute another 100+ doses we were able to freely distribute.
Throughout the week we were on playa we distributed about 200+ doses that were given solely to key members of different camps. We first set our focus to the larger camps along Esplanade (the primary street lining the inner circle which receives the most foot traffic). From there we circled back & stopped at the smaller camps along Esplanade, & then began to fan outward from the center circle stopping at as many camps as possible. Our goal at each camp we stopped at was to educate at least one camp member on how to recognize an opioid overdose compared to other types of overdoses, how to then appropriately respond to an opioid overdose, & then we aimed to educate them on how to properly administer NARCAN Nasal Spray. All-in-all we received absolutely zero pushback when we were offering NARCAN Nasal Spray to different camps on playa, each individual we spoke to showed immense appreciation for the NARCAN that we were gifting to them, & at every camp we stopped at there was at least one camp member that was more than willing to be educated on the benefits of NARCAN & proper use of NARCAN Nasal Spray.
Additionally, we gifted a little over 50+ doses to other Burners throughout the week we were there. Typically this occurred when someone would overhear us talking to different camp members about NARCAN Nasal Spray & they would then kindly ask if we’d also give them some NARCAN as well. We found that these people wanted it for either one of two reasons: it was either for someone in their life who was personally struggling with some sort of opioid addiction, or they had personally lost someone to an accidental opioid overdose & they themselves then wanted to have some NARCAN on hand in case of any opioid related crisis in the future. Ultimately anyone on playa that had both the willingness to learn about NARCAN Nasal Spray & then had the desire to obtain it did receive at least one or more doses from us.
One interaction that sticks in my mind was one of our initial stops we made on playa Monday Night at a camp located on Esplanade. This camp featured a hookah bar & an Indian Cuisine dinner buffet. There we were not only fortunate enough to be given a belly full of food & were treated to a variety of hookah flavors, but we were also given the opportunity to educate a lovely couple named Edible Orgasm & her husband Mr. O about NARCAN Nasal Spray. As we were discussing NARCAN with the couple a man overheard us & began to cry. As we wrapped up our conversation with the couple the gentleman approached us with tear-filled eyes & began to express immense gratitude for what we were doing. He then explained that back home his best friend was struggling with an opioid addiction & that he constantly feared for his friend’s life. He then asked us if he could have some NARCAN Nasal Spray that he could then bring home to give to his friend. Of course we agreed & gifted him 2 boxes of NARCAN containing 4 individual doses.
Another meaningful interaction occurred mid-week at a pop-up tiki bar in the center circle. After I had successfully educated & gifted NARCAN to those handling the bar, a young woman approached me as I was about to ride off & discretely asked if she could have a dose of NARCAN. When anyone approaches me & asks for NARCAN I first ask how familiar they already are with NARCAN Nasal Spray — I do this to try to gauge their existing knowledge. She immediately openly expressed to me that she was a fentanyl addict & had been using almost daily for the last several months. She explained that she tried her best to be responsible while using & that she usually carried NARCAN Nasal Spray but that she had forgotten to bring any to with her to playa. I immediately recognized the immense courage it must have taken for her to not only approach me & ask for NARCAN, but for her to also share what she was going through. Without any hesitation I of course gave her 4 individual doses of NARCAN Nasal Spray. After she received the NARCAN she didn’t stick around very long, but I truly do admire her & that she had the courage to acquire what she needed to help herself & to potentially help others.