The opioid crisis has made its way to Art Basel this year

The opioid crisis has made its way to Art Basel. If you attend the SCOPE International Art Show, don’t be surprised to see samples of an unusual nature being given out. No, you won’t be getting free drugs — just the opposite.

Around the exhibition called “unaffiliate.us,” featuring drug addiction-inspired works by contemporary NYC artist Tom Fruin, attendees can pick up a dose of Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, a medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Many of Fruin’s pieces use actual drug paraphernalia, such as discarded quilt bags that were at one time containers for drugs. The exhibit, which runs Tuesday through Sunday at Scope on Eighth Street and Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, is organized by Massachusetts-based Column Health. The newly formed company runs four outpatient mental health clinics focusing on addiction. Workers from the company will be on site to not only give out the medication but to provide counsel, said spokesman Jim McIntyre. He adds that one dose of Narcan, available without a prescription, will be handed out in nasal spray form in clear, plastic bags. “That is sort of the idea, this is not something we want to hide,” McIntyre said. “We are trying to bring awareness to the crisis and start a larger conversation, not necessarily to stock everyone.”