Latest news with #AwarenessDay
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Families of missing people come together in Pittsburgh to learn more about available resources
For the past three years, the Pennsylvania Missing Persons Foundation has held a special event in an effort to get people back home. Saturday was Missing Persons Awareness Day. It's a day that puts the missing people back into the eyes of the public and highlights the resources that are available to everyone to help find them. Speakers from the FBI shared important spoke about trafficking, child safety and domestic abuse. Families of four missing people from Western Pennsylvania also shared their stories. Cherrie Mahan's family was in attendance. She went missing from Butler County in 1985 after getting off the school bus. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 11 Investigates: Mother of Butler County girl who vanished 40 years ago renews efforts to find her Members of the foundation say a lot of people do not know that when someone goes missing, time is of the essence. Ruth Brannigan's childhood friend, Mary Ann Verdecchia, was 10 years old when she went missing in 1962. 'There is no federal law or state law that says you need to wait 24 to 48 hours. You report people when you find that they're missing,' Brannigan said. Verdecchia's disappearance was one of the reasons the Pennsylvania Missing Persons Foundation was started. Click here to learn more about the Pennsylvania Missing Persons Foundation. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Victoria's Voice Foundation Marks National Naloxone Awareness Day on June 6 with Special Event on Capitol Hill
Annual Awareness Day Focusing Attention on the Drug Crisis and Importance of Lifesaving Opioid Overdose Reversal Medications was Launched by Victoria's Voice with Support from a Bipartisan Congressional Resolution Over 140 Iconic Buildings and Landmarks Nationwide to Shine Purple in Recognition of Awareness Day WASHINGTON, June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Victoria's Voice Foundation marked National Naloxone Awareness Day on June 6 with a special event on Capitol Hill, bringing together families affected by the opioid crisis, advocates, lawmakers, law enforcement and other first responders. The awareness day is a vital time to heighten awareness of the risks of opioid overdoses and the urgency of expanding access to and the use of lifesaving overdose reversal medicines. It was launched in 2023 by Victoria's Voice Foundation with support from a bipartisan congressional resolution recognizing the awareness day annually. Naloxone, commonly sold over the counter under the brand name NARCAN® Nasal Spray, is a critical tool in preventing fatal opioid overdoses – and is credited with helping drive the recent 27% decline in U.S. drug overdose deaths. Naloxone nasal spray helps restore normal breathing in a person experiencing an opioid overdose. It is safe, easy to administer and non-addictive – and designed for use by bystanders and first responders alike. This is crucial because nearly 40% of fatal overdoses occur in the presence of someone else, according to the CDC. "We must continue to expand naloxone awareness, access and use so we can save as many lives as possible from opioid overdose," said Jackie Siegel, who co-founded Victoria's Voice with her late husband, David, after losing their daughter, Victoria, 18, to an accidental drug overdose on June 6, 2015. On the day she died, Victoria had a pulse when first responders arrived and found her unresponsive, but they were not equipped with naloxone, and Victoria became another statistic. Jackie added: "I am deeply grateful to the members of the U.S. Senate who introduced a bipartisan resolution declaring June 6 as National Naloxone Awareness Day – and to all those on the front lines of the crisis. While today is especially bittersweet as we mark 10 years since Victoria's passing, I find comfort and strength in knowing that her legacy is that because of her death, many more people will live." Victoria's Voice is dedicated to drug awareness and prevention and saving lives from overdose. Since its founding, Victoria's Voice has positively impacted over 1.5 million children and parents through its education programs. Additionally, David Siegel was at the forefront of the efforts to increase naloxone access and use – especially among law enforcement in Florida and nationwide – and inform about its lifesaving power. The 2025 federal resolution was introduced by U.S. Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jim Justice (R-WV), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), James Lankford (R-OK), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Angus King (I-ME) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA). Speakers at yesterday's resolution ceremony in the Hart Senate Office Building included Jackie Siegel, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), and Seminole County (FL) Sheriff Dennis Lemma, a statewide and national leader on responding to and preventing overdoses, and a Victoria's Voice board member. Other speakers included Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fl), Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS), Virginia First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin, and Sir Edwards, Mayor-President of Baton Rouge (LA). "It is a privilege to join Victoria's Voice Foundation in recognizing National Naloxone Day and honor the life of Victoria, a young life lost to the devastating opioid epidemic. It is every parent's worst nightmare to lose their child, and it is remarkable to see how the Siegel family has turned their grief into a mission to educate others about the dangers of the opioid crisis so other families don't experience this same heartbreak," said Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL). Scott added: "This year was also the first Naloxone Awareness Day since the passing of my friend and Victoria's Voice founder, David Seigel. Ann and I were honored to donate a portion of my Senate salary to Victoria's Voice to support its cause and pay tribute to David's incredible work and legacy. I am proud to work with the foundation to raise awareness on the crisis and life-saving tool of Naloxone, which is critical in our fight to stop loss of life from opioids." "In every state, there are families, friends, and neighbors who are grieving the loss of a loved one to overdose. Naloxone can save lives but only if we get this lifesaving medication in people's hands. We need people to have access to naloxone, be able to afford it, and know how to use it," said Senator Ed Markey (D-MA). "I'm proud to join my colleagues in recognizing June 6 as Naloxone Awareness Day. This is an essential step in spreading awareness and giving communities the tools they need to save lives in the face of the opioid epidemic." National Naloxone Awareness Day is proudly sponsored by Emergent BioSolutions, the makers of NARCAN® Nasal Spray. "On National Naloxone Awareness Day, we have the opportunity to reinforce opioid emergency preparedness and make sure stakeholders across all sectors – from government officials to business leaders and local organizations – feel equipped with the tools they need to be ready to rescue not only today, but every day," stated Paul Williams, senior vice president, head of products business, global government & public affairs at Emergent. "We're proud of the work Victoria's Voice Foundation is doing year-round and we're honored to use this key moment in time to raise awareness and keep our communities safe together." In support of National Naloxone Awareness Day, over 140 iconic buildings, landmarks, bridges, monuments, parks, museums, city halls, downtown hubs and skylines nationwide will glow purple. From Niagara Falls, Baltimore's City Hall Dome, and the Kia Center in Victoria's Voice's Orlando hometown, to the Louisiana State Capitol, Chicago's 875 North Michigan Avenue and the Hawaii Convention Center, lights will be illuminated purple in a powerful display of awareness, unity and hope. Additionally, proclamations were issued by counties, cities and states including Orange County (FL), Baltimore, Kansas City, and the State of Illinois. For more information about National Naloxone Awareness Day, visit About Victoria's Voice Foundation David and Jackie Siegel established Victoria's Voice Foundation after losing their 18-year-old daughter to an accidental drug overdose on June 6, 2015. Victoria's Voice is dedicated to providing support and resources to families affected by substance use. Since its founding, Victoria's Voice has positively impacted over 1.5 million parents and children through its education programs. For more information, visit or @victoriasvoicefoundation. #VictoriasVoiceFoundation #GetGiveSave. About NARCAN® Nasal SprayNARCAN® Naloxone HC1 Nasal Spray 4 mg is the first FDA-approved, over-the-counter (OTC) 4 mg naloxone product for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose. NARCAN® Nasal Spray is not a substitute for emergency medical care. Repeat dosing may be necessary. Use as directed. View original content: SOURCE Victoria's Voice Foundation Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stitt vetoes bill funding Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples investigations
OKLAHOMA CITY – On a day multiple tribal nations were marching at the Oklahoma State Capitol for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Awareness Day, Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed a bill that would increase funding to a department inside OSBI that investigates those cases. House Bill 1137 was an amendment to Ida's Law, that Stitt signed into law in 2021. Ida's Law created the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples department but relied on federal funding that never materialized. HB1137 would have removed the federal funding requirement. In his veto message, Stitt did not point to budgetary concerns, rather he said the bill was an attempt to put one race above another. 'While I support efforts to solve missing persons and homicide cases, I cannot endorse legislation that singles out victims based solely on their race. House Bill 1137 requires the creation of a unit within the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation that focuses exclusively on missing and murdered Indigenous persons. But every missing person – regardless of race or background – deserves equal attention and urgency,' he wrote. 'Oklahoma already has both the Missing Persons Clearing House and the Cold Case Unit within OSBI, which are tasked with investigating disappearances and unsolved cases across all communities. Creating a separate office that prioritizes cases based on race undermines the principle of equal protection under the law and risks sending the message that some lives are more worthy of government attention than others. 'Justice must be blind to race. Our resources and investigative efforts should be deployed based on the needs of the case, not the identity of the victim.' In response, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. pointed to the fact that Ida's Law already was on the books. 'Gov. Stitt's breathtaking ignorance of the issues facing tribes and existing teamwork to resolve those issues reached an absurd level today with his veto of HB 1137. The existing 'Ida's Law,' a bipartisan reflection of the sort of teamwork needed to address missing and murdered indigenous persons cases, is an effective law that enables tribal law enforcement and OSBI to work better together on MMIP cases,' he wrote in a press release. 'HB 1137, a bipartisan amendment to Ida's law, was a housekeeping measure designed to strip an unnecessary federal funding requirement. Gov. Stitt's veto message, issued on a day we raise awareness across the country on MMIP issues, exposes that he lacks the foggiest idea that Ida's Law is on the books, what it does on a low budget cost high impact basis, or what the simple amendment was designed to do.' Hoskin accused Stitt of purposely sowing discord by using the term 'race.' 'He also continues to conflate the political status of tribal citizens with 'race,' a tired old subject meant to divide and confuse people,' Hoskin wrote. 'Native Americans are disproportionally victims of violent crime and disproportionally so in cases that go unsolved. Serious leaders across the state and the nation understand that and are taking action.' HB 1137 passed through both chambers with almost unanimous support. Stitt has taken similar action in the past concerning tribal exclusivity on gambling issues and concerns over tribal tags and hunting/fishing licenses. 'We are sovereign nations and our treaties require the U.S. Government to live up to certain responsibilities,' Iowa Tribe Chairman Jake Keyes posted to social media. 'They continue to not only fail at this, but now they look to completely eliminate those responsibilities. More than ever it's important for our people and our tribal leaders to make our voices heard.' KOCO television station in Oklahoma City reported OSBI told the news station it would continue to fund the MMIP department.
