In the scrum of the Knicks ticker-tape parade in Lower Manhattan two weeks ago, an off-duty EMT volunteer spotted a stranger showing signs of a drug overdose.
Acting fast, Simone Kelly found someone in the crowd who happened to be carrying naloxone, an over-the-counter drug used to quickly reverse the effects of opioid overdoses, and administered the nasal spray. The man did not die.
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin relayed this anecdote Monday in Staten Island as he and community health leaders announced the arrival of two vending machines that stock “public health” supplies like naloxone kits, also known by the brand name Narcan. Everything in the machine is free…