America has an opioid problem. Opioid addiction and overdose deaths have reportedly increased across the country over the past decade, but another problem has emerged in recent years: fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is stronger than heroin, 50 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than morphine. It is added to street drugs and is now the leading cause of drug-related deaths. For those working on the front lines of the epidemic, drug safety (rather than avoidance) — such as carrying naloxone to prevent overdoses or testing drugs before using them — is the most viable solution to the current problem method.
Brian Bordanick, founder of acne-de-stigmatizing brand Starface and emergency contraception company Julie, agrees and has joined the movement to dismantle drug safety with Overdrive, which launches today on Amazon.
“With remedies like naloxone (the generic name for naloxone) becoming available over the counter and nearly every state decriminalizing drug test strips, harm reduction and drug safety products are becoming more accessible,” Bodenick said. “However, despite these advances, adoption rates remain low because these products are often not matched with the people who need them most, I want to leverage what I’ve learned in other businesses – addressing things like acne, sexual health or smoking cessation – and learn from those outside the typical consumer goods marketing model, looking at entertainment and media to discover new ways to engage people.
OverDrive’s first product is a reliable fentanyl testing kit (five test strips, including a water pack and small spoon) that detects the presence of the drug, helping people already using the drug know if it’s safe.
Ryan Weaver, the brand’s executive producer and creative head, said, “Our brand intentionally feels more like an energy drink brand than a sterile medical brand.” This strategy has already been implemented with great success with Jolie, whose first ad was written by cool-girl comedian Esther Povitsky.
Bordenik and Weaver carefully thought out every detail of Overdrive’s launch. Take publishing on Amazon, for example, which is a simple and anonymous way for buyers to get a brand seamlessly (and quickly) into their hands. The brand also partners with the nonprofit End Overdoses, donating 1% of proceeds via cash and product.
“To really solve this problem fully, you need to take a variety of approaches,” Bodenick said. “That doesn’t mean that what other people in the harm reduction community are doing is wrong, but it opens the door to the fact that all kinds of people are affected by this crisis and we need organizations to solve the problem from a vantage point.”
