Growing Momentum For Overdose Prevention
1. New Study: New York City’s Overdose Prevention Centers Don’t Increase Neighborhood Crime.
After New York City launched two of the country’s first overdose prevention sites—a space that provides people with a safe and supervised place to use drugs—researchers found that the centers were associated with both reduced overdose risk and decreased public drug use. Now, for The New York Times, Maia Szalavitz reports on a new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which finds that “violent and property crime rates near the two overdose prevention centers did not increase any more than crime in similar neighborhoods elsewhere in the city.” As Szalavitz writes, these findings “should ease fears surrounding overdose prevention centers…”
Here’s more detail from the study:
“No significant changes were detected in violent crimes or property crimes recorded by police, 911 calls for crime or medical incidents, or 311 calls regarding drug use or unsanitary conditions observed in the vicinity of the OPCs.”
“There was a significant decline in low-level drug enforcement, as reflected by a reduction in arrests for drug possession near the OPCs of 82.7% … and [by comparison] a reduction in their broader neighborhoods of 74.5% …”
There were “significant declines in criminal court summonses issued in the immediate vicinity by 87.9% … and [by comparison] in the neighborhoods around the OPCs 59.7% [reductions] were observed…”
Here’s Szalavitz in the NYT on why these findings matter so much:
“One of the biggest misunderstandings about [overdose prevention centers] is that their nonjudgmental approach encourages increased drug use and delays abstinence or recovery…. [To the contrary,] this environment is critical to fostering more effective recovery from addiction … Research has consistently shown that approaches that prioritize public health over drug-law enforcement do not worsen neighborhoods or increase crime rates [or] lead to higher drug use among youths or people who are already addicted. [Instead, the public health approach] can increase the likelihood that they enter treatment. At least 200 such centers now exist in over a dozen countries around the world and not a single reported death inside a facility. The New York sites have been utilized over 90,000 times by around 4,000 people, with 1,100 overdoses reversed and no deaths.”
Related: These facilities are variously named safe injection sites, safe consumption sites, or overdose prevention centers. Safer Cities conducted a national survey of likely voters last year and found that the naming matters a lot: Calling these facilities “overdose prevention centers” significantly increased support by 11 percentage points over “safe consumption sites” and 15 points over “safe injection sites.”
2. Overdose Response Teams Launch Around The Country.
Vermont. For NBC5, Lauren Granada reports on a new team of first responders handling overdose-related calls from within the Burlington Fire Department, to combat a “number of overdoses in the city that continues to break records.” Burlington Fire Chief Michael La Chance explains that the overdose response unit, which is composed of firefighters and paramedics, “responds to suspected overdoses and unresponsive patient calls” in order to “help patients break the ongoing cycle of addiction” and “free up resources to respond to more needs in the city.”
North Carolina. For the Carteret County News-Times, Cheryl Burke reports on Carteret County’s new Post-Overdose Response Team, or PORT. County Health Director Nina Oliver explains how the program works:
“The team is connected to active 911 calls [and] when overdose calls come through, they go straight to the team. They respond to the scene with first responders. Even if those who have overdosed don’t want help at the time, team members continue to follow up with each person and family [within 72 hours]” and connect them “to suitable care, provide overdose education about addiction, and reduce overdose mortality.”
Ohio. For The Associated Press, Geoff Mulvihill and Carla Johnson report on a new Quick Response Team in Hancock County that identifies people who have survived an overdose and connects them to medical, housing, and other community resources. The team also contacts people being released from jail and prison who are at high risk for overdose as well. “There’s evidence that the efforts are helping,” the AP reports: “Aafter 28 overdose deaths last year, Hancock County has three confirmed overdose deaths and five suspected ones in 2023.”
3. Narcan Access Expands Further.
There’s a growing bipartisan push to make Narcan—a nasal spray proven to reverse opioid overdoses—available not only to first responders, but to as many ordinary citizens as possible. Here’s a look at more cities making the overdose reversing medication available at novel locations:
The City of Detroit announced last week that the city’s Health Department “is partnering with local gas stations to ensure Narcan kits are on hand to help save lives.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the city Department of Public Health’s launch of multiple new Narcan vending machines placed in high traffic areas at two city libraries, a bus station, and a community center.
For Fox13 in Tampa Bay, Florida, Mark Wilson reports on a new effort by a local recovery center to stock Narcan in multiple Tampa area bars, clubs, and restaurants, as well as provide training for staff on administering the life-saving medication.
For Inside Higher Ed, Johanna Alonso reports on the colleges installing narcan vending machines on their campuses, including Oakland University in Michigan, Cameron University in Oklahoma, and Santa Clara University in California.
