NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (PIX11) - Gratitude: that is what Caitlin O'Neill of the New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition receives when they give a client Narcan, a clean syringe, or simply, someone to talk to about the struggle with opioid addiction.
"I spent many years of my life navigating substance use disorder, not even realizing that it had that name," said O'Neill. "During that part of my path, [it] did lead me to injection drug use, and [I] did not know we had harm reduction centers in New Jersey."
Harm Reduction Centers are community-based programs that can provide a safe place for people who use drugs to access clean needles and Narcan, the overdose reversal drug naloxone. They're one of a handful of resources getting a big boost in the Garden State.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced recently that $95 million in opioid manufacturer settlement funds will be put toward fighting opioid addiction over the next three years. That includes, but is not limited to, $24 million to expand harm reduction and drug user health services, $19.5 million to scale remote referrals to enable 24/7 connections to care from vetted treatment providers, and $17.5 million to expand operations at New Jersey's 22 Community Peer Recovery Centers.
"I think it's proof that expanding support for our neighbors struggling with addiction, rather than throwing them behind bars, saves lives, and improves community health more broadly," said Murphy at an event last week.
Several members of the New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition fought hard for this allocation.
"This is actually evidence-based and it's proven to work," said O'Neill.
The Coalition is based in New Brunswick, giving them a centralized location to distribute their supplies all across New Jersey.
"Showing people who use drugs and people who live with substance abuse disorder that their health care is just as important as any other citizen is really special," said O'Neill.
You can request Narcan or other resources on their website.
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