Mayor Eric Adams’ administration plans to install “life alert” devices in apartments to prevent drug users from dying from overdoses, another tax-funded reform that has drawn criticism. They argue that it encourages drug abuse.
City Health Bureau is going to win an award Officials told The Post about the contract for a pilot program aimed at residents considered to be at “high risk” of overdosing.
The controversial contract will go to Lifeguard Digital Health, which manufactures a device called Lifeguard Lite, a physical timer mounted on the wall that residents can activate to self-monitor their drug use. become.
Before injecting the medication, a single resident can set a timer for up to six minutes.
After the timer goes off, residents can choose to extend the timer by one minute or press the “Okay” button to disable the timer.
If the drug user is unresponsive, LifeguardLite sounds a loud alarm and alerts building staff to check on the occupant.
If no one silences the alarm after confirmation, the device will directly call 911, allowing city doctors to respond to a potential overdose and administer naloxone.
This device also monitors room temperature.
Conservative Party chairman Gerald Cassar said city health authorities should help addicts kick the habit completely, rather than condoning or allowing drug use.
“Could you imagine Alcoholics Anonymous coming up with a program that would allow people to drink alcohol?” Kasser said. “This is using tax dollars to allow drug use. It’s a continuation of the drug injection scene.”
But Health Department officials said Lifeguard Lite will be trialled with drug users who are at high risk of fatal overdose. It’s an experiment worth trying because OD deaths have jumped more than 75% since 2019, the largest increase due to abuse of the powerful fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine.
“At the Department of Health, we are focused on saving lives. The U.S. government is committed to using innovative initiatives like this pilot program to reduce overdose deaths in New York City by 25 percent by 2030. “We are working to explore tools that can help,” an agency spokesperson said.
“Lifeguard lights have been installed in supportive housing in other jurisdictions and have shown success in preventing overdose deaths by allowing the timely delivery of this simple, life-saving intervention. It’s been proven.”
The city has two overdose prevention centers in East Harlem and Washington, known as “safe” drug injection facilities, where addicts bring their own drugs and are supervised by medical professionals. , can be injected using a clean needle.
The controversial surveillance program has been credited with preventing more than 1,000 overdoses, and the mayor supports expanding it.
The Lifeguard Lite surveillance system is used in British Columbia, Canada.
“LifeguardLite™, when installed in social housing settings (e.g. single room occupancy buildings (SROs), public restrooms, safe injection sites, etc.), can independently administer drugs by alerting a customized administrative dashboard in the event of an emergency. protect the individuals who use it,” LifeGuard Digital Health said. on its website.
