Long Island stores stock Narcan behind counter after push from mom who lost son to fentanyl

Some Long Island businesses are keeping anti-overdose medication behind their counters — preparing for the reality someone might need a lifesaving dose right outside their doors.

Port Jefferson stores are now using Narcan nasal spray after a town Chamber of Commerce meeting that included a presentation by activist Carole Trottere, whose son Alex died of fentanyl in 2018.

5

5

“We have an absolute epidemic on our hands,” Trottere told The Post. “If this saves even one life, then it was worth it.”

The initiative by Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and Gabriel’s Giving Tree aims to make Narcan an essential resource not just in medical settings, but in everyday public spaces by giving free boxes to local businesses.

Trottere said her goal is to have every business in town have a box of the drug.

5

“In addition to Narcan’s life-saving properties, I think having the boxes in stores where the public can see them goes a long way in reducing the stigma of substance use disorder,” she said in a statement.

The goal is to destigmatize Narcan by making it freely accessible and out in the open, similar to medical equipment like AEDs that are used to restart a heart after cardiac arrest.

5

Opioid overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suffolk County also remains one of the hardest-hit areas in all of New York state with an alarming rate of over 224 overdoses per every 100,000 residents, according to the most recent state data. 

The first store to take one of the Narcan boxes was the Wellness Shop and several other stores have followed. The Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce has also installed a box of its own.

5

Council Executive Director Steve Chassman believes this initiative is about more than just Narcan distribution — it is about changing how we respond to the opioid crisis and making sure help is always within reach.

“We will continue to work tirelessly in alerting our communities of the ongoing opioid crisis and providing free and accessible naloxone in convenient locations in an attempt to save lives,” said Chassman.