Alcohol and Drug Use Services (2026)

Syringe service programs provide harm reduction services to people who use drugs. The programs may provide sterile syringes and other injection supplies, safer smoking kits, fentanyl test strips. They can also help with syringe disposal, harm reduction counseling, health education, overdose prevention, HIV and Hepatitis C testing, and referrals to other services.

Access to sterile syringes has helped reduce the number of new HIV cases among injection drug users by 95% in the last 20 years. Using sterile equipment also protects injection drug users from Hepatitis C and infections at the injection site.

Learn more about syringe service programs:

• Syringe Service Programs: Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
• Syringe Service Programs Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Your Guide to Syringe Service Programs in NYC (PDF)
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Overdose Prevention Centers — also called supervised injection sites — are health care facilities that provide a safe environment where people can use previously obtained drugs under supervision. People who use drugs can:

• Get sterile supplies to consume drugs
• Test their drugs for fentanyl
• Speak to harm reduction specialists about safer use
• Get connected to treatment and other health care and social services

Trained staff at the centers observe and intervene if someone shows signs of overdose. In November 2021, OnPoint NYC opened the first publicly recognized Overdose Prevention Centers in the country. They are syringe service programs that have operated in Washington Heights and East Harlem for years.

Overdose Prevention Center services, as well as harm reduction services, are offered at the following locations:

• OnPoint NYC (Washington Heights)
  Address: 500 West 180th Street, Second Floor, Manhattan
  Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  Phone: (212) 828-8464
  Email: info@onpointnyc.org


• OnPoint NYC (East Harlem)
  Address: 104-106 East 126th Street, Manhattan
  Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  Phone: (212) 828-8464
  Email: info@onpointnyc.org

Overdose Prevention Centers: FAQ (PDF)
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From 2000 to 2020, the number of overdose deaths in New York City more than tripled. During 2020, 2,062 New Yorkers died of a drug overdose.

Opioid-involved overdose deaths are preventable. Naloxone is a safe medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

• Get naloxone in NYC

The NYC drug supply is unpredictable, which makes it harder for people who use drugs to reduce their risk of overdose and other drug-related health concerns. Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is commonly found in the heroin supply. It is also found in other drugs like cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, ketamine and pills from non-medical sources. Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, is increasingly found in the opioid supply. It can cause serious skin ulcers and wounds.

Knowing what is in the drugs you use can help you make choices to reduce your risk of overdose or injury. Rapid test strips for fentanyl and xylazine are available for the public to order and at some harm reduction organizations. Drug-checking services are also available at five of NYC’s syringe service programs. Contact the following locations for the full schedule.

• BOOM!Health: 718-292-7718
• Harlem United: 212-289-2378
• Housing Works: 347-473-7400
• OnPoint NYC: 212-828-8464
• VOCAL-NY: 718-802-9540

For more information about drug checking, as well as where and when you can get drugs tested, see:

• Drug Checking in NYC (PDF)
  Other Languages: Español

See these directions for using xylazine and fentanyl test strips:

• How To Test Your Drugs Using Xylazine Test Strips (PDF)
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• How To Test Your Drugs Using Fentanyl Test Strips (PDF)
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To learn about setting up a drug checking program in your own community, see:

• Setting Up a Drug-Checking Program: A Comprehensive Guide to Implementation (PDF)

For questions about drug checking in NYC, email drugchecking@health.nyc.gov.

Public health vending machines provide 24/7 convenient and anonymous access to public health and wellness supplies.

The vending machines provide a variety of no-cost health and wellness supplies, including:

• Naloxone
• Fentanyl test strips
• Safer sex kits, including condoms and lube
• Toiletry kits, including hygiene and menstrual kits
• Sharps containers
• Sterile syringes (select vending machines only)

Enter your NYC ZIP Code into the keypad on the vending machine to access supplies. Additional information and instructions are posted on each vending machine in multiple languages.

Public health vending machines are at the following locations, managed and operated by the corresponding community-based organizations:

• AIDS Center of Queens County Inc (ACQC)
  Address: 1600 Central Avenue, Queens
  Email: egonzalez@acqc.org


• AIDS Center of Queens County Inc (ACQC)
  Address: 89-31 161st Street, 7th floor, Queens
  Email: egonzalez@acqc.org
  • This location is only accessible Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.


• Services for the Underserved (SUS)
  Address: 1676 Broadway, Brooklyn (Corner of Decatur and Broadway)
  Email: recovery@sus.org


• Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (VOCAL-NY)
  Address: 2640 Pitkin Avenue (Crystal Street side entrance) Brooklyn, NY
  Email: vending@vocal-ny.org

Machines are in neighborhoods with high rates of overdose death. Specific locations were selected with feedback from community members, community-based organizations and the NYC Health Department.

For more information or questions about this project, email naloxone@health.nyc.gov

• FAQ: Public Health Vending Machines (PDF)
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