Nashua 'Safe Stations' Connects Opioid Addicts With Help

NASHUA, NH — Nashua officials last week launched a "Safe Stations" program that connects opioid addicts with recovery help. The program allows anyone seeking substance abuse help to walk into a Nashua fire station and get connected with recovery programs.

Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess said opioid abuse is an epidemic in the city. He said at least 14 people have died of opioid overdoses in the city since September, while firefighters administer the opioid antidote drug Narcan at a rate of 30 times a month.

"I frequently hear from our front line professionals about the course of the epidemic in our city — the dangerous drugs being peddled on our streets and in our alleyways, the large numbers of criminals being arrested for drug trafficking here, the many Nashuans from every neighborhood and every walk of life who are struggling with the grip of addiction," Donchess said in a statement.

Here's how the program works:

• "Any person seeking treatment and recovery will be able to enter a Nashua fire station where trained firefighters will connect him or her with help. AMR and Harbor Homes will immediately respond to
  each report.
• If there is no medical need for transportation to the emergency room, Harbor Homes will transport the person seeking help to the Maple Street shelter or to the Harbor Homes complex on High Street. If necessary, medical detox will be available.
• The person seeking help will be cared for while Harbor Homes professionals find an opening in an appropriate recovery program or facility."

Manchester launched a Safe Stations program in May. City officials there said so far over 700 people have come in for help.

Photo: Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess (left) introduces at a news conference on November 17, 2016. (Credit: Jeffrey Hastings/Frame Of Mind Photography Frameofmindphoto.com)