As the United States continues to grapple with a deadly opioid crisis, Narcan—a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses—has become more accessible. Experts credit this expanded availability as one reason overdose deaths have declined over the past year. But Narcan can only save a life if someone is there to administer it—and that’s not always the case. Many people struggling with substance use disorder use drugs alone, whether out of shame, fear of judgment, or simply because they have no one they can trust. So how do you save lives when one bad dose can be deadly, and the people most at risk are suffering in silence?
A unique hotline called SafeSpot is helping answer that question. The service offers a lifeline—someone to stay on the line while a person uses drugs and calls for help if something goes wrong. On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, you’ll hear from the director of SafeSpot and a woman who says the hotline is the reason she’s still alive today.
Listen to the original hotline call on This American Life: The Call
MEET THE GUESTS
Kimber King
Kimber King is a peer specialist, overdose survivor, and devoted mother who has been in recovery since July 11, 2022. Drawing from over a decade of lived experience with substance use, she now serves as Operations Coordinator at Safespot, where she continues to provide frontline support on the organization’s hotline. Kimber is passionate about helping others find hope and healing, just as she has.
Stephen Murray
Stephen Murray, MPH, NRP, is the Director of the SafeSpot Overdose Hotline at Boston Medical Center and a national expert in overdose prevention and harm reduction. A former firefighter and paramedic, he shares his lived experience as an overdose survivor to inform policy, research, and training across the country. Stephen has advised organizations including the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and has been featured on This American Life.
