Opioid overdoses are responsible for more than 115 deaths a day in the United States. Opioids are defined as a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone.
In Nassau County, opioid overdoses were responsible for 600 deaths in 2017 and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office lists overdoses/poisoning as the leading cause of death for 18-35 year olds in the county.
Recently, 59 individuals were arrested in Massapequa for selling opioids, drawing attention to this issue in the region. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder spoke at a news conference about this issue following the arrests made in Massapequa, highlighting a new app available to police officers, ODMap, that will help law enforcement track hotspots of opioid busts and overdoses. Ryder and several police officers also handed out flyers at the Massapequa Long Island Rail Road Station urging residents to report any signs of drug abuse.
To help address the opioid epidemic, both inpatient and outpatient treatment centers are needed throughout the county. Assemblywoman Christine Pellegrino (D-Babylon/Islip/Oyster Bay) recently approved an additional $50,000 funding in the 2018-19 state budget for the YES Community Counseling Center, which has two locations in Massapequa and Levittown. “I firmly believe we can’t arrest our way out of this problem and need to rethink our approaches,” said Pellegrino. “I have been a big advocate for the harm reduction model and will push to see that implemented more broadly.” YES states their mission is to increase awareness about personal and community issues, prevent and treat substance abuse, and to promote healthy families and a safe community. The center recently held an event educating residents and law enforcement on opioids and the effects they have on the county.
Informative and educational opioid overdose prevention training by Yes Community Counseling Center. Hopefully a skill set I will never have to use, but able to when necessary. Thank you Supervisor @JosephSaladino9 and the Town of #OysterBay Town Board for hosting this event.
— Mike LiPetri (@TheMikeLiPetri) April 3, 2018
Mark Wenzel, Assistant Director of YES Community Counseling Center, believes that the opioid epidemic is a “perfect storm” for pharmaceutical companies. With advances in medicine, health professionals are able to prescribe heavy medications that are highly addictive. “Society looks at it as a moral issue rather than a medical issue,” said Wenzel. “We need to get beyond that view and start to look at this as more of a medical model.” Wenzel believes society is moving in the wrong direction by not addressing the medical concerns that opioid addiction poses.
The YES community center is an example of providing treatment over punishment for addicts. Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas plans to continue enforcement against drug dealers providing opioids, but provide recovery options for the addicted. Treatment centers like YES will educate and provide resources for individuals affected by drug use.
