Source: businessinsider.com
New York City health officials are launching a pilot program for public health vending machines (PHVM) to help drug users who are \”disproportionately burdened\” by overdoses.
The non-profit Fund for Public Health in New York opened a request for proposals in December to install 10 PHVMs that dispense the anti-overdose drug naloxone, sterile syringes, and other harm reduction and wellness supplies to drug users in neighborhoods across the city.
Since 1999, more than 1 million people have died from fatal overdoses in the US, according to a study from the National Center for Health Statistics and preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In New York City, 2,062 people died from unintentional overdoses in 2020, the highest rate since reporting began in 2000, according to data from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Black and Latino residents in neighborhoods with the highest rates of poverty, including South Bronx and East Harlem, reported the most overdose deaths in 2020, the report found.
\”Racial equity does not mean simply treating everyone equally, but rather, allocating resources and services in such a way that explicitly addresses barriers imposed by structural racism (i.e. policies and institutional practices that perpetuate racial inequity) and White privilege,\” the Fund for Public Health in New York\’s request for proposals read.
The initiative is expected to cost taxpayers $730,000, which will help opioid overdose prevention programs install the 10 vending machines. The request for proposals names several potential neighborhoods to place the machines, including South Bronx, East Harlem, Union Square, and Brooklyn\’s East New York.
PHVM programs have become an emerging strategy to combat high-barrier access to health and wellness supplies, with successful pilots in Europe, Canada, and Australia. New York is hoping to models its program on those currently operational in US cities like Las Vegas, Nevada, and Cincinnati, Ohio.
In November, New York also became the first city in the US to allow supervised consumption sites for illegal drugs.
\”Unfortunately, the overdose crisis is worsening,\” Dr. Dave Chokshi, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene told NPR in November, adding that these sites were designed to operate long term. \”This is something that we feel deep conviction about and also a sense of urgency to address.\”
These types of programs could be a \”game changer,\” head of Drug Policy Alliance Kassandra Frederique told NPR.
Opioid overdose prevention strategies remain controversial among officials and communities in New York.
Mayor Eric Adams and former Mayor Bill de Blasio have also voiced support for overdose prevention methods. Four of the city\’s five district attorneys have echoed their support for safe injection sites, according to the New York Times.
Senator Wiener’s Legislation To Legalize Overdose Prevention Programs — Also Known As Safe Consumption Sites — Passes Assembly Health Committee
Alyssa Murray, the administrative assistant at The Happier Life Project works in the background helping The Happier Life Project run smoothly. Alyssa has had both personal and professional experience working with the recovery community which provides her with a unique ability to empathize and connect with those who are affected by addiction as well as mental health conditions.
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A founding board member with lived experience. As an early team member of Happier Life Project, Madeline is devoted to reducing stigma around Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Disorders and helping connect people in need to resources. While pursuing a degree in Psychology, she is a Certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher and is constantly exploring the intersection of nature and therapy though studying family constellation therapy, equine therapy, sustainable living practices, and permaculture. Madelina Collective is a network of women around the world who collaborate with the shared goal of bringing change, inspiration, and perspective to the world through art and innovation. She is actively engaged in fostering creativity and connection amongst women from diverse backgrounds in an effort to be a light for other seekers.
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