April 18th, 2025
Businesses and Organizations Can Request a Naloxbox
County Executive Adam Bello today announced the Department of Public Health’s Addiction Services IMPACT team has now installed more than 600 Naloxboxes across the county that dispense free doses of the life-saving medication Naloxone. The most recent Naloxbox was installed by request of the Rochester Police Department at the Public Safety Building on Exchange Boulevard. Expanding the availability of Naloxone is a key element in Monroe County’s efforts to fight opioid and fentanyl addiction and prevent opioid overdose-related fatalities.
“The availability of Naloxone plays a critical role in helping save lives by reducing fatalities related to opioid and fentanyl overdoses,” said County Executive Adam Bello. “Monroe County Addiction Services aggressively distributes Naloxone countywide. With an overdose situation, every second is critical and these overdoses occur in every corner of Monroe County.”
To date, the Monroe County Addiction Services IMPACT team has installed 605 Naloxboxes at various locations throughout Monroe County, including private businesses, commercial retail stores and restaurants, and public spaces. Since the Naloxbox initiative began in July 2022, IMPACT has distributed over 35,000 free Naloxone kits throughout the county via a combination of outreach, training and Naloxboxes. Monroe County’s efforts to distribute Naloxone are among the most aggressive and ambitious in New York State.
Naloxone, the generic form of Narcan, rapidly reverses an opioid overdose by blocking the effects of opioids on the brain and restoring normal breathing. Most of the Naloxboxes installed and maintained by IMPACT contain 12 doses of Naloxone nasal spray along with instructions on how to administer the medication to someone who has overdosed on opioids. Larger boxes, such as the one installed at the Public Safety Building, and one recently installed on the campus of University of Rochester, contain 40 to 50 boxes of Naloxone.
“The Monroe County Department of Public Health Addiction Services Team works very hard to provide education and Naloxone to our community,” said Dr. Tisha Smith, Monroe County Addiction Services Director. “Naloxone greatly improves the chance of survival post-overdose. Saving lives provides us with the opportunity to educate and motivate individuals towards a recovery pathway. Any business or organization interested in assisting our lifesaving efforts by hosting a Naloxbox should call (585) 753-5300.”
Under State law, people who choose to administer Naloxone in response to a suspected opioid overdose are protected from criminal, civil and administrative penalties if they are acting reasonably, in good faith and in compliance with state regulations. In addition, the State’s 911 Good Samaritan Law protects individuals from prosecution for misdemeanor drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and being under the influence if they call 911 in response to someone experiencing a suspected overdose. For more information on the Good Samaritan Law, visit health.ny.gov/publications/0139.pdf.
For a complete listing of Naloxbox locations in Monroe County, visit www.monroecounty.gov/health- narcan-map.
To request Naloxone, Naloxone training for your business or organization, Fentanyl and Xylazine test strips that detect the presence of those substances in other drugs and/or assistance in finding treatment for substance use disorder, call the 24/7 confidential Addiction Services hotline at (585) 753-5300.
