Athena R. Huckaby, MPH

01/13/2026

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we talk about buprenorphine.

This medication helps stabilize opioid receptors over time, reduces cravings, and lowers overdose risk. It’s predictable, regulated, and available in several forms, including long-acting injections.

In this video, I talk through the science in plain language and why access to this medication saves lives. Progress in health care comes from using tools that work in real life.

👕 Shirt: Women With a Vision, New Orleans
🧠 Public health is political.

*xWorkIsPolitical

01/13/2026

Save a Life: Naloxone, Overdose Response & Drug Checking Education

I’m partnering with Food Not Bombs Las Cruces to offer a free, hands-on naloxone (Narcan) and overdose response training for the Las Cruces community.

📅 Saturday, January 31, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
📍 Peace Lutheran Church
1701 Missouri Ave, Las Cruces, NM

This training is open to everyone. No medical background required.

Participants will learn:

How to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose

How to respond safely and effectively

How to administer naloxone

What to do after naloxone is given

New addition:
I’ll be joined by Phillip Fiuty, Technical Advisor for the Drug Adulterant Checking Program with Vital Strategies and the New Mexico Department of Health, who will share information on drug checking and recent contaminants in the drug supply.

Each participant will receive a free naloxone kit to take home.

Whether you’re a community member, family member, friend, service provider, or simply someone who wants to be prepared, this training can help save a life.

Please share with your networks.

01/09/2026

How does one become an advocate?

It sounds corny, but I think we just do it! Start small, do what you can, and hopefully your impact grows!

Thanks to Emma Yasinski for the opportunity to answer her excellent questions in this second interview excerpt.

01/07/2026

For this reason, I got an order from my doc to get my blood drawn to determine if I needed an MMR booster. I'm thankfully still immune to measles, mumps, and rubella!

01/07/2026

I'll be there talking about housing, homelessness, mental health, the opioid epidemic, harm reduction, drug checking. You know. The usual topics. What topics are top of the list for you?

Please join Representative Nathan Small and I at a community meeting to prepare for the legislative session, which starts Jan. 21. We want to hear your thoughts and priorities.

01/05/2026

I just finally got my copy of From S*xless Marriage to S*x Goddess: A Memoir by Alisa Kriegel, PhD, and I’m honestly really excited to read it!

I’ve worked with Alisa since 2012, doing her billing and coding, and over the years she’s become both a trusted colleague and a friend. Seeing her memoir out in the world feels really meaningful ❤️

I know most people are used to hearing me talk about Substance Use Disorder and Opioid Use Disorder, but this is very much in my lane too. My MPH concentration is in Maternal, Child, S*xual, and Reproductive Health, and my undergrad was in gender studies. I’ve always been deeply interested in s*x, s*xuality, and how people come into their own around pleasure, identity, and relationships.

I’m told I show up somewhere in the book (🤔😀) which makes me even more excited to dive in.

If this is your kind of read, I definitely recommend checking it out! You can stay update on Alisa and her work at Alisa Kriegel Author.

P.S. The more s*x you have the faster your hair grows. 😘

*xPositive *xualHealth

12/15/2025

Oh, hey! The Santa Fe New Mexican DID publish "my view" on the "Suboxone smuggling ring" at the Santa Fe County jail! I'm not loving the stigmatizing title it was given, but so delighted that this is out there!

"If we want safer communities and fewer deaths, we need to fully support medication access inside jails, during reentry, and in the community. We also need local journalism that reflects the science and avoids language that reinforces stigma. People deserve accurate reporting, compassionate policy, and treatment that meets medical standards. Anything less is a disservice to the people of New Mexico."

A recent story in The Santa Fe New Mexican (“Ten accused of smuggling Suboxone into S.F. County jail,” Dec. 4) about people charged with attempting to bring Suboxone into the