GUILDERLAND — The public library offers a safe space where someone can come for help, said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy on Wednesday morning as he stood at the entryway to Guilderland’s library next to what looked like a white medicine cabinet on the brick wall.

It holds Narcan kits, free for the taking.

Narcan, explained Elizabeth Whalen, Albany County’s health commissioner, is “a medication that counteracts the effect of opioid medication and therefore can stop a fatal reaction … Just one sniff into the nose can make the difference between life and death.”

Whalen said Narcan has “no downside” but advised calling 9-1-1 after using the drug since it is “not the end of medical treatment.”

The April 5 press conference was to announce a new initiative placing Narcan cabinets in easily accessible places. Cabinets are already installed at the Berne Library, at the Washington Avenue branch of the Albany Public Library, at the University at Albany, and at the Capital City Rescue Mission.

“If you want one of these in your building, we’ll make it happen,” said McCoy.

Guilderland Supervisor Peter Barber, who was among the town board members and county legislators on hand for Wednesday’s event, said of opioid addiction, “This is in our community and is raging in our community.”

He noted that the Guilderland Police have decriminalized their approach to dealing with addiction and also praised Albany County for being a leader in holding drug companies responsible for the opioid crisis.

McCoy had opened the press conference with some sobering statistics, noting that the opioid epidemic is a national problem. Overdose deaths in Albany County have more than tripled since 2015.

The county was making progress in reducing fatal overdoses, McCoy said, when the pandemic hit. In 2019, before the start of the pandemic, Albany County suffered 62 overdose deaths.

That grew to 100 in 2020, to 110 in 2021, and to 132 last year. Eighty-two percent of last year’s deaths involved fentanyl, said McCoy. Fentanyl is prescribed to treat severe pain but is now widely available on the street.

“Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and only a tiny bit of the substance can kill somebody,” said McCoy.

The county, he said, is distributing fentanyl test strips at outreach treatment centers and through the overdose response team.

“Last year, the country distributed over 100 test strips. This year, so far we’re at 81,” McCoy said, adding, “It’s a game changer.”

Critics charge the county with enabling drug users by distributing the test strips but, McCoy said, “We don’t want people doing drugs”— rather, he said, the county’s goal is to keep them safe.

“Try not to lecture,” said McCoy of dealing with someone who has addiction problems. “Give a shoulder to cry on.”

McCoy also said that Albany County received $1.5 million this year from the state opioid settlement fund advisory board and more money is expected from the “epic fight” against Big Pharma.

The money will not go into the county’s general fund, McCoy said. Rather, a task force is deciding on how best to spend it for initiatives like education and prevention.

“Prevention is the most effective strategy,” said Whalen of quelling the epidemic. She urged parents to talk to their children about drug use and she also spoke of the importance of keeping needed medication in “a safe spot” while disposing of unused medication.

“We really need to remove stigmatization,” said Whalen.

She noted that Stephen Giordano, the county’s commissioner of mental health, oversees the Mobile Outreach Treatment and Overdose Response team, known as MOTOR, which encourages people to get the help they need.

Such treatment, Whalen said, can change lives.

Joseph Filippone of Catholic Charities, which is partnering with the county in placing the Narcan cabinets, noted their accessibility does away with embarrassment people may feel in going to a clinic or pharmacy to get Narcan.

“You can grab one and be on your way,” he said.

Timothy Wiles, the library’s director, noted nearby collection boxes for the food pantry and the Caring Closet, which provides hygiene products to people in need.

“This is just the next step,” he said of helping people who need Narcan.

Wiles also stressed the importance of proper disposal of medication and noted the library regularly partners with the Guilderland Police to dispose of unused medications, no questions asked.

The next disposal event is set for Saturday, April 22, at the library, which is located at 2228 Western Ave.

By flushing unused drugs down the toilet, Wiles said, “We do a terrible disservice not only to human health but to fish, plant, and animal health.”

The Guilderland drug-disposal events typically take in 800 to 900 pounds of unused medications in a few hours, he said.

McCoy agreed and said of improper drug disposal, “It’s killing our environment.” He noted disposal bags are available through pharmacies. “It dissolves them, then they can go in the trash, in the landfill,” he said.

Asked if the county had calculated projected cost savings from the Narcan cabinets, McCoy said that fewer overdoses would free up emergency medical services, police, and hospital emergency rooms.

“It keeps the system from being overloaded ….,” said McCoy. “We’ll probably never know … now many lives we’ve saved.”