The Somerset County Board of County Commissioners proclaimed Sept. 25, 2025, as Save a Life Day and heard plans to expand naloxone distribution and training across the county.

The proclamation, read at the board meeting, cited provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics that 80,391 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in 2024 and described Save a Life Day as a volunteer-driven naloxone distribution initiative that began as a West Virginia pilot in 2020.

Board members and presenters said Somerset County joined the effort in 2024 and participated in a national distribution day that involved more than 35 states. County presenters described a goal to increase access to naloxone and related training for residents and noted a donated outdoor naloxone-distribution box that will be placed in the county through a partnership with local community organizations.

Lisa (presenter), affiliated with the volunteer effort that coordinates Save a Life Day activities in the region, said the 2024 effort in Somerset County distributed more than 600 naloxone kits during the single-day event and called the event “a tremendous success.” She described the broader initiative’s growth, saying several Appalachian states and hundreds of counties have participated in recent years. Lisa said the donation of distribution boxes came from CareSource and that CareSource awarded one free naloxone distribution box per state through a program administered by SOAR West Virginia; Somerset County was one of the awardees.

The presenters described the donated box as a newspaper-style kiosk intended to hold about 200 naloxone kits and said the county will partner with a local food bank to manage and refill the box. The side of the box includes a QR code linking to a how-to video on administering naloxone, presenters said.

No formal vote was recorded on the proclamation in the transcript; the text says the proclamation was signed by the five county commissioners.

County officials advised that Save a Life Day is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, and invited residents to take part in free naloxone distribution, training information and referrals to addiction treatment services.

Questions at the meeting included where the donated box will be sited; presenters and commissioners said placement would be determined through the county’s community partners and did not give a final location at the meeting.

Speakers: Lisa (presenter) (nonprofit), Unidentified county official (read proclamation) (government), County Commissioner (five commissioners signed proclamation) (government).

Authorities: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (referenced by the proclamation).