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NYSAM Supports Legislation Increasing Access to Naloxone in Public Spaces
On March 5, the New York Society of Addiction Medicine (NYSAM) sent a letter of support for S5779 to members of the Senate Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorder. This legislation would require schools and public libraries to stock opioid antagonists with automated external defibrillators (AED).
In the letter, NYSAM noted that naloxone is an effective tool proven to reduce overdose deaths. Increased supply and availability of naloxone is cited as a key factor in the drop in overdose deaths nationally in recent years. NYSAM emphasized that an effective overdose prevention strategy would ensure that naloxone is readily available in as many public spaces as possible. As such, NYSAM emphasized that S5779 is an intelligent policy that would save lives at minimal cost.