By Michael V. Cusenza
The City Council, during last week’s stated meeting, voted to approve a bill that would mandate that the City Department of Education stock opioid antagonists (generic name Naloxone; brand name Narcan) in all school buildings.
The country is in the midst of an opioid epidemic—opioid-involved death rates have increased significantly since the beginning of the pandemic and according to the CDC, in 2019, nearly 1 in 7 students reported ever misusing prescription opioids. As such, Naloxone, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose, is available over-the-counter in all pharmacies throughout New York State. Given that death from opioid overdose is immediate without intervention and administering the drug unnecessarily does not harm the recipient, extending the availability of Naloxone to all DOE schools furthers existing City and State efforts to reverse the opioid epidemic and save lives.
“I am thrilled that my bill, Intro 198, was passed by my colleagues today,” said Councilman Rafael Salamanca (D-Bronx). “A victory 6 years in the making, the DOE must now ensure that every school in New York City carries Naloxone kits, making our City the largest school district in the country to do so. I am thankful to Speaker Adrienne Adams, my City Council Colleagues, community advocacy groups, and the United Federation of Teachers for their support over the years. NYC has been ravaged by the opioid and fentanyl crisis, with record numbers of school-aged children turning to drugs. As a result of the passage of Intro 198, we are protecting our children, our teachers, and our parents. Most importantly, we will help save lives.”
The council also passed several pieces of legislation regarding noise pollution, including: Introduction 1194-A, sponsored by Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Hillcrest), would cap the compensation a citizen complainant can receive from a noise complaint at $5 or $10, depending on whether the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or the citizen complainant prosecutes the proceeding. For citizen complaint proceedings commenced prior to the effective date of the bill, the maximum penalty would be capped at $50. Recently, there has been a surge in complaints filed by a small number of citizen complainants, often repeatedly at the same businesses, to collect the award money. Placing a cap on compensation would reduce the financial incentive for serial complainants to file multiple, harassing complaints against businesses for the purpose of collecting the award money.
“For far too long, a group of ‘noise bounty hunters’ have been lining their own pockets by exploiting the city’s noise pollution regulations, issuing unjust summonses to local businesses,” Gennaro said.
And Introduction 774-A, sponsored by Majority Leader Keith Powers, would require DEP to measure sound levels within dwelling units on request when the sound is related to construction activities. DEP would be required to measure the sound level at any point within the unit with windows and doors that may affect the measurement closed. The bill would also define sounds attributable to the construction site that is 10 dB(A) above the ambient sound level, when measured within the unit, with windows and doors that may affect measurement closed on or after 7 a.m. and before 10 p.m. as unreasonable noise.
