Free Overdose Emergency Kits are now available to domestic violence shelters and service providers across New York State. The initiative is a partnership between the New York State Office of Domestic Violence Prevention (OPDV), the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). The kits are provided through Project COPE (Community Overdose Prevention Education), which is funded with a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
New York City pharmacies begin selling opioid overdose antidote naloxone over the counter
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“The opioid and overdose epidemic affects too many New Yorkers. Expanding access to life-saving overdose emergency kits in harm reduction, prevention and treatment support programs, as well as domestic violence programs, will save lives,” officials said. Over the past 18 months, New York State has distributed nearly 700,000 overdose emergency kits statewide, many of which were distributed through New York State’s first online ordering portal.
Overdose Emergency Kits are wall-mounted metal boxes containing naloxone, a medication that quickly reverses an opioid overdose. The kits are placed in residential domestic violence shelters to ensure residents and staff have access to this life-saving medication. Each kit also includes training resources for administering naloxone. Additionally, Project COPE provides free training in harm reduction and overdose prevention to staff in domestic violence programs.
Research shows a strong correlation between domestic violence and drug use. Coercion to use drugs is a widespread yet underrecognized form of abuse that poses significant danger to victims. Many victims use drugs to cope with trauma or physical harm, increasing their risk of overdose. Societal stigma against both victimization and drug use impedes access to care, making it difficult for victims to obtain life-saving tools like naloxone. Domestic violence programs can fill this gap by providing naloxone on-site.
New Yorkers struggling with addiction can receive help through the state’s toll-free 24-hour HOPE Line at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (short code 467369).
New York to provide free overdose emergency kits to domestic violence shelters
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