I think naloxone is awesome and everyone should carry it
Last year I was given free naloxone on my college campus. I did not know a ton about the life-saving opioid overdose reversal tool but quickly understood how important it was to carry. As someone who loves to spend time in the drag and underground music scenes of Atlanta, I was eager to take personal action to make these community spaces safer. I hd heard of the fentanyl epidemic but was not aware of the intensity and the direct connection with naloxone access.
But actually, I never carried it
Despite owning naloxone, it never seemed to come out with me. I was watching drug use at the events I was attending but did not do my part to keep community safe. As I continued to learn more about fentanyl and the prevelence of laced drugs I became more uncomfortable existing and enjoying these spaces without carrying naloxone.
Did anyone else in my community have the same problem?
Surely, I was not the only one in these spaces that knew about naloxone, owned it, existed in overdose hotspot events, and still did not bring it to events. I interviewed dozens of opioid informed people in my commmunity including event goers and staff, college students, EMTs, doctors, pharmacists.
“We had Narcan at my exes house not because he was in active addiction but because it was good. But we didn’t carry it.”
– Christopher
Rave Goer, Chem. eng
Ex SO of Heroine Addict
“I've been thinking about how to feasibly carry the narcan without having the whole bulky box or having it out in my car if we even take my car”
-Carter
service worker, drag performer
Turns out, lack of rapid naloxone access is a huge problem
I received Narcan training at my sorority and understand how important it is. However, the outfits I wear to events don’t usually have pockets to carry it (paraphrased).
-Lily
sorority president
So, I designed nalopack, a crossbody bag
In Fall of 2023 I was given an opportunity to design anything for my senior capstone project. This was a great opportunity to take a stab at a naloxone carry device for event goers. The first design was actually a keychain but the medication was too bulky, so ultimately other fashion solutions were explored.
At this point, the team was formed
Mars Lovelace
Communication, Strategy, Art
Rae Bloom
ID, Strategy, Founder
Kendra gargia
UI/UX, ID, Business
Dr. Stangl
Research, Strategy
el pimentel
Research, Art
The Research
In collaboration with Dr. Stangle, El and Rae launched an independednt study to create a run an academic study learn more about naloxone stigma. The Nalopack ID team is addressing function barriers to naloxone carry wheras the Research team is addressing the stigma barriers.
With the branding efforts from our team, refined prototypes were created
Throughout the Spring semester, the team worked to establish a brand identity for Nalopack as we entered student design and euntrepreneuership competitions at Georgia Tech and beyond. During this semester, I led the ID efforts to translate the new branding into a refined crossbody bag.
back to mud
MUD > CAD
After feeling stuck while trying to push the design of the front panel form, I was given great advice - play with some clay. I had spent days in CAD trying to model a highly sculpted yet true to form front piece. The new design for the protective front panel was created by sculpting clay around a plaster mold of the naloxone. Before the clay fully dried and began to crack off, the sculpture was vacuum formed. This plastic sheet became a mold to cast a plaster negative. The negative was then used to manufacture the front panels for the 5 prototypes.
