Help starts here at home

To the editor:

In April, surgeon general Dr. Jerome Adams issued an advisory recommending widespread distribution of life-saving naloxone to combat opioid overdose deaths.

At Alliance for Positive Change, we fully support this effort. As a 27-year-old nonprofit on the front lines of addressing substance abuse and chronic health conditions, we have been working with naloxone for years, and our staff have trained thousands of New Yorkers to use lifesaving Narcan, the only FDA-approved nasal form of naloxone for emergency treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose. 

Last year alone, we distributed nearly 1,000 Narcan kits.

At Alliance, we want to help New Yorkers step up to save a life and give someone a second chance, which is why our Save A Life campaign aims to raise $5,000 to cover the costs of training 100 people and distributing 100 Narcan kits. (Contributions can be made at Alliance.NYC/savealife.)

Our city has been fighting this growing epidemic for years, and we hope that this advisory will bring greater attention to the fact that it takes more than government and health care providers to save lives. 

It takes everyday people — everyday Bronx residents — who are often the first people to see a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or a neighbor overdosing. We encourage all New Yorkers to get trained.

Sharen I. Duke

The author is executive direction and chief executive of the Alliance for Positive Change.