Prescription drug abuse has gotten so bad on Staten Island that police will be given nasal spray to use on overdose victims.This new program will give officers from the 120th precinctnaxolene to reverse the effects of overdoses on drugs like oxycotin. "Equipping officers to administer naloxene to overdose victims may mean the difference between life or death for individuals addicted to prescription painkillers," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly told the New York Post.
The Post referenced a study by RxStat which claims that Staten Island has three times more opioid analgesic overdoses than any other borough. According to data from the New York City Department of Health, Staten Island residents were given a "median supply" of 25 days of prescription drugs. In Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, residents were given 15; Manhattan dwellers received 10.
Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan acknowledged the problems in the area. "The report clearly indicates that Staten Island leads the city in abuse of opioid painkillers," Donovan said. "As the borough’s District Attorney, I openly acknowledge that this is a problem facing our residents."
[via New York Post]
