Staten Island’s prescription drug abuse problem is so rampant that the city is arming cops with a powerful antidote that can immediately reverse the life-threatening effects of a drug overdose, the mayor’s office announced in a press release Friday.
Cops in the 120th precinct on Staten Island will be able to given doses of naxolene, that comes in the form of a nasal spray, to administer to victims overdosing on opioid analgesics, such as OxyContin and Roxicodone, under a new pilot program.
“Equipping officers to administer naloxene to overdose victims may mean the difference between life or death for individuals addicted to prescription painkillers,” said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Staten Island has triple the opioid analgesic overdose rate of any other borough — even though it has the lowest population, according to a study released by RxStat.
“The report clearly indicates that Staten Island leads the city in abuse of opioid painkillers,” said Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan. “As the borough’s District Attorney, I openly acknowledge that this is a problem facing our residents.”
There were 190 unintentional overdose deaths throughout New York City in 2012, according to the study. Unintentional opioid analgesic overdose deaths increased 267 percent between 2000 and 2011, decreasing by 12 percent from 2011 to 2012, the study revealed.
New York City Health Department data shows that Staten Island residents received a median supply of 25 days of prescription drugs, compared with 15 days for residents of The Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, and 10 days for Manhattanites.
The city’s Department of Homeless Services has already trained more than 350 peace officers to administer naxolene in shelters and found it was successful in reversing 25 or 29 overdoses over the last three years.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg also announced that the US Justice Department awarded the city a grant to continue the work of its RxStat program, which targets prescription drug abuse.
“In the critical fight against prescription drug abuse New York City has, again, been recognized as a leader for our innovative solutions to complex problems,” said Bloomberg.