Hadley Board of Health Approves Plan for Four Public Naloxone Boxes Around Town

HADLEY -- July 9, 2026, Hadley Board of Health plans up to four public naloxone boxes and weighs synthetic drug restrictions. Meeting with a two-member quorum on July 9, the board heard from Pedro Alvarez, Director of Harm Reduction Services at Tapestry Health, and Program Manager Katie Lessard, who reported that Tapestry served 32 unique Hadley residents across 86 encounters between May 2025 and May 2026, distributing 56 naloxone kits and collecting 3,480 used syringes. Tapestry has six wall-mounted, unlocked Nalox boxes, purchased with Hadley opioid settlement funds approved through the Select Board, and proposes installing four at high-traffic locations including the Route 9 corridor and potentially Hadley schools, with Tapestry handling all restocking and maintenance at no cost to the town. The health director separately reported consulting legal adviser Cheryl Sbarra about restricting synthetic drug sales at local convenience stores, with a draft proposal targeted for the board's fall meeting cycle. The board canceled its August meeting and set its next session for September 10, 2026.