Foothills Cafe embraces Harm Reduction, stocks Naloxone

From staff reports

“Harm Reduction Michigan is proud to partner with the Foothills Café and Hotel to bring important harm reduction information and life-saving tools to the Glen Arbor region,” said Pam Lynch, executive director of Harm Reduction Michigan.

The United States had 107,622 overdose deaths in 2020, an increase of 15% over the previous year.

“We are clearly not doing enough to help our communities, and people with opiate and other chemical dependencies to survive, and then ultimately thrive,” Lynch continued. “Leelanau County is not exempt from these deaths, and it is important to make naloxone available in areas of the county where it is not easy to access.”

In the event of an overdose (especially when fentanyl is present) seconds count. When EMTs may be many minutes away, this harmless, non-intoxicating medication can save someone’s life. Naloxone is safer than amoxicillin, and safer than Ibuprofen. It does not get people high; to the contrary. It is not used recklessly, because it makes people feel bad, if they have opiate dependency, pushing them immediately into non-life-threatening withdrawal.

Community members should know they can freely access this safety tool at the Foothills Café now.

“We at The Foothills take issues of dependency and overdose very seriously,” says co-owner Shari Bernstein. “A few years ago, we did a community outreach to offer training and distribution of the naloxone shots to those people in Leelanau that were concerned for a family member or friend. People have called and come asking for these, even as late as one month ago. Now, out in front of the café, is a white metal box that looks comparable to a newspaper carrier, and in it is the naloxone nasal spray. It is there for anyone who may need it, no questions asked.