When administered, naloxone, the generic name for Narcan, helps to stop damage to the brain caused by lack of oxygen, leaving the user unharmed. Proponents of Narcan believe that the drug should be made available over the counter, provided free when doctors prescribe opioids, and, according to a New York Times article, placed in first aid kits where it’s readily accessible, even in the event of an accidental overdose.

In New York City, the Lower East Side syringe exchange program has been administering Narcan to patients long before any legislation was passed.

“We have already prescribed naloxone to more than 500 New Yorkers at syringe exchange programs and have had over 40 heroin overdose reversals reported,” said Dr. Sharon Stancliff, medical director of the Harm Reduction Coalition. “This law not only clarifies my role as a prescriber, it also protects my patients as they prevent overdose deaths among friends and loved ones.”

Prior to the signing of this bill, physicians and public health professionals risked professional sanction for prescribing and distributing Narcan to individuals who subsequently might administer it to someone overdosing. But A7162 (Dinowitz)/S4869 (Hannon) will now offer legal protection for anyone who prescribes or administers Narcan.

“This is about saving lives,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. “No matter how much you don’t want people to use drugs, it’s vital to have a fallback strategy for those who do.”

New York is following in the footsteps of other major cities such as Chicago, Baltimore, San Francisco, and other major cities in Europe—all of which have high rates of overdose deaths, and all of which, with the help of Narcan administration, have succeeded in preventing hundreds of deaths. Reports are already coming in that several deaths were prevented because of New York City’s overdose prevention campaign.

The Drug Policy Alliance Network began advocating for this legislation in 2003, shortly after its success in passing similar legislation in New Mexico in 2001 and in Connecticut in 2003.

“Similar legislation has led to 140 documented lives saved in New Mexico. This is public health at its best: a low-cost intervention that trains people to protect themselves from serious injury and death,” said Reena Szczepanski, director of the drug policy Alliance New Mexico.

The signing of this bill is a significant victory for public health officials in New York, and the Alliance will continue to pursue similar legislation as part of its ongoing work across the country to help curtail preventable overdose death.

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