Narcan Newsstands, street corner newsstands that have been converted into nasal naloxone kit distribution centers, turned 2 this June! This past year, over 2,000 Narcan kits were distributed from the newsstand across the street from AFC’s offices alone. There are 20 naloxone newsstands in total, which are sponsored by the Westside Heroin/Opioid Taskforce and located primarily across the west side of Chicago, a hotspot for overdoses.
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist – meaning that it binds to opioid receptors and serves to reverse or block the effects of other opioids (i.e., heroin, fentanyl, morphine). When administered to someone showing signs of an opioid overdose, naloxone serves to restore breathing.
This valuable community resource would not be possible without the participating organizations of the Westside Heroin Opioid Taskforce, which includes AIDS Foundation Chicago and the Center for Housing & Health’s Connection to Harm Reduction (C2HR) program.
C2HR lives at the intersection of harm reduction, prevention, treatment, and recovery under AFC's Behavioral Health Program. Harm reduction services meet the specific needs of the community being served. “With compassion, acceptance, and unconditional support, our team continues to serve the community and promote meeting individuals where they are at in their journey to mental wellness and health,” said Toni Sutton, Director of Behavioral Health.
Anyone can and should carry Narcan. The CDC recently reported a remarkable 27% nation-wide decrease in predicted drug overdose deaths in 2024 compared to 2023. We know that the availability of naloxone, or Narcan, is a significant contributing factor in these decreases.
However, this decrease is not equal across demographics. The Chicago Sun-Times recently reported that Black men born between 1951 and 1970 are dying from opioid-related overdoses at rates nearly 10 times higher than Cook County’s average. The racial disparities among opioid-related overdoses in Chicago are apparent. In fact, the Chicago Department of Public Health reported that it is one of the driving forces of the life-expectancy gap between Black and non-Black residents in Chicago, which stands at a staggering 11.4 years.
Expanding access to Narcan and other harm reduction services is crucial to addressing the opioid crisis in Illinois and intersects with ending the HIV epidemic. In the most recent state legislative session, AFC supported Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) pilot site on Chicago’s West Side. OPS programs in other cities are proven to reduce harm, prevent overdose deaths, connect people who use drugs with vital services, and help improve public safety.
While the bill did not move forward, the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board recommended an allocation of $18 million to fund OPS initiatives, and we remain hopeful that Chicago will have OPS sites in the future.
In other hopeful news, the Chicago Transit Authority announced in June that it will partner with Cook County Health to install five Narcan vending machines in rail stations in areas with high cases of opioid-related incidents.
The creation of the newsstands was granted by Cigna Insurance through a philanthropy funding request from former Cigna employee Ashley Kinney, who later partnered with Westside Heroin/Opioid Taskforce to distribute the newsstands.
You can also find Narcan for FREE at all Chicago Public Libraries.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, contact the IL Helpline at 833.234.6343 or helplineil.org/stop-overdose.
