NARCAN Behind Every Bar Campaign

Council Members Ossé and Powers in support of Intro 56 which would require the City to create the Nightlife Opioid Antagonist Program to help prevent opioid overdoses that could occur in nightlife establishments. The program would permit nightlife establishments in the City to request and retain up to 5 opioid antagonist kits at a time, free of charge, to keep on premises for administration to patrons, staff or individuals on the premises experiencing an opioid overdose and would provide free resources and trainings to nightlife establishments. You may view the press release here and our statement below.

“Overdose deaths plague our society and that’s why it’s critically important to invest in harm reduction at our city’s social spaces, like bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. By giving the opioid antagonist Narcan to nightlife establishments and providing their employees with training to administer the medication, we can save lives, just like CPR kits can save lives. We praise Council Members Ossé and Powers for their leadership introducing this impactful legislation, we urge to City Council to pass it and Mayor to sign the bill into law, and look forward to working with Department of Health and Office of Nightlife to support the program.” Andrew Rigie, executive director, NYC Hospitality Alliance

The presence of fentanyl in NYC’s drug supply has dramatically increased unintended use, causing the number of overdose deaths to rise. Due to this increase, the Office of Nightlife and the NYC Department of Health have launched the NARCAN® BEHIND EVERY BAR campaign as part of NYC’s harm reduction approach to substance use. The campaign provides access to FREE training where venues, staff, and security can learn how to use naloxone – a medication that can help save a life by reversing the effects of an opioid overdose – and can obtain free Overdose Rescue Kits by mail to have in case an overdose occurs.

Naloxone (Narcan®) is a safe medication that can save someone’s life by reversing the effects of an opioid overdose. It only works on opioids, such as heroin, prescription painkillers and fentanyl, but it is safe to use even if opioids are not present.

If you or someone you know uses drugs, including prescription fentanyl, learn about ways to reduce the risk of overdose. If you or someone you know would like to talk to someone about substance use services or treatment, contact NYC Well.

Narcan kit

Get FREE Naloxone Training and Overdose Rescue Kits

Business operators can take the NEXT Distro – Online Training and receive a kit by mail.
Contact any of these community-based programs (PDF)
Visit a pharmacy (PDF) participating in the NYC Emergency Overdose Rescue Kit Program and ask the pharmacist for a free “Emergency Overdose Rescue Kit”.
Find additional NYC Health Department resources, posters and free upcoming virtual Naloxone webinars.
To schedule in-person Naloxone training and kits for your staff, please email: [email protected]