New York reaches milestone in providing fentanyl test strips

New York has reached a milestone of distributing 20 million test trips that can detect the presence of fentanyl and xylazine, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Friday.

Hochul said that the kits and other initiatives are helping to prevent overdoses and save lives.

She cited federal data shows that the estimated overdose deaths in areas of the state outside New York City declined by 9% in a 12-month period ending March 2024 compared with March 2023.

New York City declined 3.1% during that same time period, according to the governor.

New York state also has an online ordering portal where naloxone kits and test strips can be ordered by any New York State resident who requests them