Twenty MBTA Red Line stations will be stocked with the life-saving drug naloxone thanks to a proposal from a group of Harvard students.
Naloxone, commonly referred to by the brand name Narcan, can be the difference between life and death during an overdose.
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“I witnessed a 19-year-old individual experience an overdose and luckily there was Narcan present and the overdose was reversed.”
At that moment, then Harvard freshman Sajeev Kohli wanted to help prevent overdoses. State lawmakers recently approved $95,000 for a plan he and former classmate Jay Garg developed. State Sen. John Keenan sponsored the bill.
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“It’s seconds that really count so having Narcan available on either side of the turnstile, meaning on the platform or in the lobby of the train station & then also in the bathroom of the train station is really ready important and will save lives.”
We spoke to one woman who didn’t want to be on camera but has seen people overdose near the T stations in Cambridge, and says she knows the Narcan will make a difference.
“Addicts do not have a place to go to do their drugs. If you have this you have a really good chance of saving that person.”
And plenty of people need saving. The Cambridge Public Health Department says from 2018-2020, 10% of all opioid overdose patients were picked up by an ambulance at a T station. The woman we spoke with has seen it.
“Sorry to say just a one-person bathroom and by the time the manager opened the door the person had died. The person was blue.”
Aiding in addicts surviving those overdoses is an accomplishment for Kohli and others.
“There’s so many people involved and this is a victory for all of them.”
“When young people get involved they can bring about change and I want to thank the students of Harvard University who came upon this idea, researched it, presented it & it’s nice to see their work will contribute to the saving of lives.”
