LIBERTY- Sullivan County has purchased, through a grant, 174 Naloxboxes that have naloxone, a drug that prevents someone experiencing an overdose from dying. They are being placed in strategic locations around the county, such as gas stations, laundromats, and restaurants.
Camille O’Brien, the Healing Community’s Program Manager for the county talked about what’s inside each box.
“Every Naloxbox comes with four kits inside,” said O’Brien. “Each one has gloves and two doses of four-milligrams of Narcan and some literature so you know what to do after somebody comes back.
The Barryville Oasis is one of the locations that has a Naloxbox. The owner, John Pizzolato explains why he chose to have one installed in his business.
“I think it’s just all about access and preventative measures,” said Pizzolato. “I don’t think it’s encouraging anything, you know, diabolical happening. It’s really about, you know, how to save lives. And I think that that should be at the forefront of every business’s focus, when it comes to opioid deaths.”
O’Brien pointed out that the Naloxboxes are a measure to help individuals struggling with drug addition reach treatment. Sullivan County has among the highest per-capita number of overdose deaths of all counties in the state.
The first step is saving lives,” said O’Brien. “The next step is going to be getting people into recovery. We’ve been working on expanding resources, and we’re getting out there.”
The Sullivan County Drug Task Force is looking for additional businesses and public locations for Naloxboxes. If you own a business or know of a location that could use one of the boxes, call Camille O’Brien at 845-531-2079.
