Courthouses throughout the state soon will have access to opioid overdose prevention kits from the New York State Department of Health.
The Office of Court Administration recently announced that state court officers and sheriff's deputies will be trained how to use naloxone, also known as Narcan, which can instantly reverse effects of an opioid overdose. Other court personnel will be trained to use the kits at a later date.
The training will be supervised by the Court Officers Academy, which has been authorized by the health department to operate as an opioid overdose prevention center. A medical doctor will serve as the clinical director of the program at the Court Officers Academy.
Each state courthouse will receive a kit containing naloxone, a nasal atomizer, an alcohol wipe and gloves. The program will be introduced on an incremental basis in mid-July and enacted statewide by the end of the year.
Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks said the kits and training "will help save individuals across the state suffering from addiction, keeping them alive until they can receive medical care and offering the opportunity to be linked to treatment and services toward their recovery."