{"id":177,"date":"2022-10-11T21:26:12","date_gmt":"2022-10-11T21:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/chi-osse\/?p=177"},"modified":"2026-01-12T21:45:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T21:45:33","slug":"mayor-adams-signs-council-members-osse-and-powers-narcan-bill-into-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/chi-osse\/2022\/10\/11\/mayor-adams-signs-council-members-osse-and-powers-narcan-bill-into-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Adams Signs Council Members Oss\u00e9 and Powers Narcan Bill into Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York, NY:\u00a0<\/strong>Mayor Eric Adams signed into law a bill today that will provide free overdose prevention medication and training to bars and nightlife establishments across the city. The bill,\u00a0Intro 0056-2022,\u00a0<\/strong>which was introduced by Council Member Chi Oss\u00e9 in February and passed by a supermajority vote in September, becomes law in the midst of a nation-wide addiction and overdose crisis that has wreaked havoc on communities and families. New York City will set a harm reduction standard for the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

COVID combined with the rising prevalence of fentanyl<\/a> led to over 100,000 Americans<\/a> losing their lives to drug overdoses from May 2020 to April 2021, up almost 30% from the previous year. The overdose crisis has become one of the most pressing issues of our time. This steep rise holds true in New York City, with overdose deaths more common than ever<\/a> \u2014 30.5 per 100,000 NYC residents losing their lives to overdoses in 2020 compared with 21.9 in 2019. Opioid overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Narcan<\/a> is an opioid overdose reversal medication that can be used by non-medical professionals, as long as instructions for use are followed. It temporarily reverses the effects of opioids, and has no effect in people who are not taking opioids. <\/p>\n

Fentanyl test strips<\/a> have the potential to stop an overdose before it happens by identifying the presence of fentanyl in a substance including injectable drugs, powders, and pills. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is about 50 times as potent as heroin. Dealers often cut it into their supply to lower costs, not letting users know that their supply is tainted. Overdose deaths involving fentanyl have quadrupled<\/a> in recent years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an overdue measure that will, simply, save lives,\u201d said Council Member Chi Oss\u00e9, Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs. <\/strong>\u201cEach overdose death is a preventable tragedy; we do not accept them here in New York City. I am proud to partner with Council Member Powers in this necessary bill and thrilled to see it become law. New York City became safer today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs overdose deaths hit historic highs in New York City, we must take immediate action to prevent any more tragedies,\u201d said Council Majority Leader Keith Powers.<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m proud to have partnered with Council Member Oss\u00e9 on essential legislation that will give New Yorkers\u2019 the tools to protect against overdose. I strongly urge my Council colleagues to pass this bill so we can start saving lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn New York City, we now lose somebody to an accidental overdose death every four hours,\u201d said Ann-Marie Foster, President and CEO of Phoenix Houses of New York and Long Island<\/strong>. \u201cWe lose more people to overdoses than homicide, suicide, and car crashes combined. We won\u2019t beat this massive crisis without including a harm reduction approach, which is why Phoenix Houses of NY\/LI has supported and advocated for this historic bill. We\u2019re thrilled to see it pass. Providing Narcan and fentanyl test strips to venues where people are more likely to use substances will save lives, plain and simple.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cOpioid overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., which means making lifesaving overdose prevention and reversal tools widely available is as important as CPR training,\u201d said Shaun Willis, Director of Recovery Services at Phoenix Houses\u2019 Brooklyn Community Recovery Center<\/strong>. \u201cThis is how everyday people can save lives, and we need these tools for free and confidential use in as many places as possible. I\u2019m proud to support this bill and provide training in how to use these tools.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOverdose deaths plague our society and that\u2019s why it\u2019s critically important to invest in harm reduction at our city\u2019s social spaces, like bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. By giving the opioid antagonist Narcan to nightlife establishments and providing their employees with training to administer the medication, we can save lives, just like CPR kits can save lives. We praise Council Members Oss\u00e9 and Powers for their leadership in passing this impactful legislation in the City Council and thank all the bill\u2019s supporters. We encourage Mayor Adams to sign the bill into law, and look forward to working with the Department of Health and Office of Nightlife to support the program,\u201d said Andrew Rigie, executive director, NYC Hospitality Alliance.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York, NY:\u00a0<\/strong>Mayor Eric Adams signed into law a bill today that will provide free overdose prevention medication and training to bars and nightlife establishments across the city. The bill,\u00a0Intro 0056-2022,\u00a0<\/strong>which was introduced by Council Member Chi Oss\u00e9 in February and passed by a supermajority vote in September, becomes law in the midst of a nation-wide addiction and overdose crisis that has wreaked havoc on communities and families.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

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