Black Lives Matter Paterson opens harm reduction center

PATERSON — Black Lives Matter Paterson opened the city’s first harm reduction center at 245 Broadway on Saturday in hopes of saving more lives from drug overdoses and reducing the spreading of HIV infections.

The center was three years in the making and began with a nightly street outreach crew that distributed hand sanitizers and face masks. With the help of more funding, the organization began distributing needles and Narcan, a drug that counteracts overdoses.

“Through that outreach we realized that we needed a dedicated space to be able to connect people to services,” said Zellie Thomas, of BLM Paterson. “We knew this area had a high concentration of overdose deaths.”

Read more: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2023/04/17/paterson-blm-opens-drug-harm-reduction-center-for-safe-needle-exchange/70118740007/