The newly installed “Opoid Rescue Kit” by the bathrooms in Easthampton’s Municipal Building. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

Bridget Diggins, a public health nurse in Easthampton, stands by the newly installed “Opoid Rescue Kit” next to the bathrooms in the city’s Municipal Building. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

EASTHAMPTON — Access to life-saving medication is now available in small, clear-colored boxes at several public locations across the city.

Each box contains three nasal spray doses of naloxone — more commonly known by the brand name of Narcan — which is a medication designed to reverse an opioid overdose. Boxes are also equipped with a rescue-breathing mask, medical gloves and step-by-step instructions.

The first box, labeled “Opioid Rescue Kit,” was installed next to the bathrooms on the first floor of the Municipal Building on Monday as part of the city’s “NaloxBox” program.

“We wanted the box to be in an accessible location,” said Easthampton Health Director Bri Eichstaedt. “Most people enter city hall through the first floor.”

The boxes are funded by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Eichstaedt said the installation of the rescue kits has been in the works for some time but delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between 2018 and March of 2022, there were 89 overdoses in Easthampton, according to statistics from the Easthampton Police Department. Of those 89 overdoses, 14 people died. Between 2020 and 2021, 22 overdoses occurred in public locations.

Eichstaedt also noted that in the past, Northampton has had overdoses occur in its public bathrooms at City Hall.

The NaloxBox program is part of a partnership between the city’s Health Department and the Healthy Youth Coalition and opioid prevention coalition Hampshire HOPE.

“This city initiative is just one tool at our disposal to save lives that would otherwise be lost to the opioid epidemic,” said At-large City Councilor Owen Zaret. “It is a culmination of a fantastic ongoing collaboration across city departments with critical input from Hampshire HOPE and the Healthy Youth Coalition. As a municipal legislator, and a medical provider, this is an opportunity to address an unfortunate intersection of my two roles amidst the scourge of the opioid epidemic.”

There are no locks to open or glass to shatter on a NaloxBox, said Healthy Youth Coalition Coordinator Rebecca Edwards. So even if there isn’t an imminent emergency, if someone has a family member or knows someone that uses opioids at their home, they have access.

“Ultimately, my hope is that everyone will be safe and healthy in our city and these boxes won’t need to be used, but having them available can save someone’s life,” Edwards said. “We’re putting power in the hands of the community to do that for neighbors and loved ones.”

NaloxBoxes were created by Dr. Geoff Capraro, an associate professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at Brown University, and Claudia Rebola, an associate professor of industrial design and associate dean at the University of Cincinnati.

In addition to Easthampton, these boxes have have been used in Rhode Island and Ohio.

They were also installed in Northampton in 2019 at City Hall, Memorial Hall, Forbes Library, Lilly Library, the James House and the Northampton Police Department.

Every partnering location has agreed to check on the boxes to see if naloxone has been taken, so that it can be refilled by Hampshire HOPE, said J. Cherry Sullivan, coordinator of Hampshire HOPE. To date, Sullivan said that none of the NaloxBoxes in Northampton have been used for an overdose emergency at the site, but the boxes have been replenished with more Narcan.

“It may never get used (at the site of the NaloxBoxes), but we are increasing the availability of Narcan in the community, and we are showing that we care. We care about people in town,” Sullivan said.

For those that are unfamiliar with naloxone or might feel a little intimidated about using the nasal spray on someone, the Health Department is hosting a community Narcan training on Monday, May 16 from 6 to 7 p.m. via Zoom. Visit easthamptonma.gov for the link and meeting code.

In addition to the city’s Municipal Building, the opioid rescue kits will also be available over the course of this week at the Emily Williston Public Library, Mountain View School and Easthampton High School.

Eichstaedt said that she’d love to be able to install a NaloxBox on the trails, but that isn’t currently an option since temperature is a concern as naloxone can’t be kept in places that experience freezing temperatures.

“The purpose of the boxes is to provide naloxone in public, accessible locations in the event of an overdose,” she said. “Harm reduction is a proactive and evidence-based approach to addressing substance use. This is a small step in addressing the opioid epidemic.”

In the event that someone accidentally used the nasal spray — even if someone does not have opioids in their system — there would be no adverse side effects.

When naloxone is deployed, it attaches to opioid receptors and blocks the effects of other opioids, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

“Counterfeit pills today can be cut with extremely dangerous substances such as fentanyl, which can lead to accidental death from just one pill. Despite our best efforts, youth sometimes can gain access to illicit substances and are not always aware of the dangers,” Edwards said. “By taking this proactive approach and making naloxone accessible, the city of Easthampton is creating a safer environment for all of its residents.”

In the future, Eichstaedt said the program will also be offered and expanded to local organizations and businesses. Businesses and organizations interested in having a NaloxBox or naloxone training can contact the Health Department at 413-529-1400, extension 430.

AMHERST — “I want you to fall in love,” said U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern in his keynote address at the University of Massachusetts Amherst commencement...

NORTHAMPTON — U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern expressed his opposition to the possible closure of the VA hospital in Leeds during a recent call with Denis...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A total lunar eclipse will grace the night skies this weekend, providing longer than usual thrills for stargazers across...

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces suffered heavy losses in a Ukrainian attack that destroyed a pontoon bridge they were using to try to cross a river...