Narcan Emergency Cabinets, one of two new Oneida County Opioid Task Force initiatives

Utica, N.Y. — In honor of International Overdose Awareness Day (August 31), the Oneida County Opioid Task Force announced the launch of two new initiatives aimed at preventing overdose deaths.

One of the new initiatives is “street engagement teams,” which have been formed to do “boots-on-the-ground” outreach and engagement in areas in great need, according to a press release. Data and community members have identified area “hot spots” as places with significant issues of mental health, substance use, homelessness, and/or unmet social service needs.

These teams, made of multi-agency partners, will seek to build one-on-one connections while providing access to “street medicine” where a person can receive same-day, low-barrier medication for substance use, medicine for acute care needs, Hepatitis C testing and treatment, COVID-19 vaccination, Naloxone, on-demand counseling with licensed behavioral health providers, as well as linkages to other support services such as food and housing.

Outreach teams will be deployed to Oneida Square in Utica and in Camden to start, with plans to replicate the model and deploy teams to other high-risk communities as the need arises, officials said.

The second initiative is the placement of Narcan Emergency Cabinets to distribute to various entities and local businesses to provide greater access to emergency tools in specific locations with high rates of opioid overdose. These cabinets, which are very similar to publicly-sited Automated External Defibrillator (AED) machines, are secure metal units that each contain two doses of Narcan nasal spray along with instructions for its use. Interested entities can inquire to receive a cabinet by filling out an online form. Priority distribution will be given to sites that are located in areas of high opioid overdose/burden. Oneida County has purchased 100 cabinets for dispersal.

“The Opioid Task Forces continues to institute new initiatives and programs to stem the deadly tide of drug overdose death,” said Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol, a co-chair of the Task Force. “We’ve realized all along that arrests alone will not solve this issue, that’s why we are always searching for new and innovative ways to tackle opioid addiction and prevent needless death.”

“Engagement and support are the keys to easing the pain and suffering of those in the throes of drug addiction and the people who love them,” said District Attorney Scott McNamara, also a Task Force co-chair. “This Task Force is committed to saving lives through collaborative prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts that cast a lifeline to those in desperate need.”

Also announced was the creation of a new website centralizing the Opioid Task Force’s information and mission into one easy-to-access location. County data, task force workgroups, upcoming events and trainings, and other news and information can be found at ocopioidtaskforce.org.