Several shops and bars in Port Jefferson have accepted free Naloxone boxes offered by the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD) and Gabriel’s Giving Tree, a non-profit that assists grieving parents with funeral expenses and comfort.
After a brief presentation about the Naloxone Box program at a recent Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce meeting by parent advocate Carole Trottere, several local businesses said “YES” to having a free Naloxone Box posted in their place of business. Naloxone (more commonly called Narcan) is a nasal spray that acts as an antidote to opioid intoxication.
One of the business owners is Karen Sullivan, of The Wellness Shop, located at 146 East Main Street in Port Jefferson, who was first to accept a free Naloxone Box for her shop. Other businesses accepting Naloxone Boxes were The Spice and Tea Exchange, located at 22 Chandler Square; the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce office; Amazing Olive, 213 Main Street; The Whiskey Barrel, 138 Main Street; Prohibition Port Jefferson, 115 Main Street; Billie’s 1890 Saloon, 304 Main Street; Global Language Reads, 402 Main Street; Barito Tacos and Cocktails, 201-C Main Street; and The Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Company.
“It is my hope and goal, to have every business in Port Jefferson to have a free Naloxone Box,” said Trottere, who lost her son Alex to a fentanyl poisoning in 2018. “In addition to Narcan’s life-saving properties, I think having the boxes in stores where the public can see them goes a long way in reducing the stigma of substance use disorder.”
Opioid and fentanyl overdoses are the number one cause of death for people 18-45 years of age in the United States.
“LICADD, Families in Support of Treatment (FIST) and Gabriels Giving Tree will continue to work tirelessly in alerting our communities of the ongoing opioid crisis and providing free and accessible naloxone (Narcan) in convenient locations in an attempt to save lives,” said -Steve Chassman, LCSW, CASAC , LICADD Executive Director. “LICADD commends the dedication of concerned citizens, who work selflessly to assist our neighbors in need and combat the stigma of opioid use disorders as a family disease. Help is available!”
If any business would like a Naloxone Box, or is in need of Narcan replacements, call LICADD at 516-747-2606 or call Trottere directly at 631-275-5277, catrottere@gmail.com. She will personally deliver it to your place of business.