SPAC installs Narcan kits to combat overdose crisis

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- To combat the opioid overdose crisis, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center has installed four NaloxBoxes in the restrooms in The Pines building and The Pinecones building. NaloxBox houses multiple pre-packaged doses of nasal naloxone spray that can be accessed freely to help save someone experiencing an overdose.

The Saratoga County Department of Health will distribute 35 NaloxBoxes around the county to be installed in public spaces. Funding for the program was made available with Opioid Settlement Funds.

Overdoses have been a rising issue in the Capital Region. There have been 30 drug-related overdose fatalities in Saratoga County in 2023.

“Similar to national and state trends, Saratoga County regretfully continues to witness alarming rates of opioid-related overdoses and deaths," said Daniel Kuhles, Commissioner of the Saratoga County Department of Health. "The data highlight the urgency of enhancing access to opioid overdose response tools such as NaloxBoxes. Community partnerships, like this one with SPAC, allow us to make naloxone available where and when it may be needed.”

Naloxone is a medication that works on opioids, such as heroin, prescription pain medications, and fentanyl. Anyone who administers Naloxone should call 911. New York's Good Samaritan Law allows people to call 911 without fear of arrest if they have a drug overdose that requires emergency medical care or witness someone overdosing.