Gibson Commits To $1M Drug Overdose Prevention

Gibson Gives - a nonprofit arm of the Nashville-based guitar giant - joins international pharmaceutical company Hikma in committing $1 million in medical supplies to combat drug overdoses in the music industry, the organization announced Wednesday, according to The Tennessean.

Hikma donated 16,000 doses of Naloxone, a nasal spray used in opioid overdose prevention known also by brand name Kloxxado, to Gibson Gives as part of a three-year program aiming to train musicians, crew members and concertgoers on properly administering the treatment. Gibson and Hikma value the Naloxone donation at $1 million, according to a news release issued Wednesday.

The donation folds into a program launched last year by Gibson Gives called TEMPO - "Training and Empowering Musicians to Prevent Overdose." The program teams with non-profit organizations such as MusiCares, The Scars Foundation and roadie advocacy group The Clinic to educate those in the music industry on overdose prevention in-part due to stronger amounts of fentanyl found in cocaine, heroin and other drugs.

“Opiate overdoses persist as a major public health problem, contributing to over 100,000 U.S. deaths just last year," said Gibson senior director of cultural influence Erica Krusen, citing the Center for Disease Control. "These deaths are preventable through the timely administration of naloxone- a safe, effective, and easy to administer medication that reverses opioid overdoses and helps save lives.”

The first Naloxone training session takes place this weekend via MusiCares at Pilgrimage Music & Arts Festival in nearby Franklin, Tennessee.

“In an era where fentanyl and opioid overdoses are now affecting everyone, we want Pilgrimage to be a safe place where there is education, visibility and prevention with Naloxone readily available for staff, musicians and patrons," said Kevin Griffin, Pilgrimage co-founder and frontman of 1990s rock staple Better Than Ezra.

In the coming weeks, Gibson Gives aims to produce artist-driven public service announcements for Naloxone. The organization also plans to distribute training resources and Naloxone supply to college music departments throughout the U.S.