Assembly members are vowing to expand funding for treatment for opioid addiction in New York. The Assembly Minority Task Force on Heroin Addiction presented their report Monday in the assembly chamber.
Three Republican Assembly members are credited with writing the report that proposes solutions based on a series of local hearings about the heroin addiction problem in New York state.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports New York has 60 painkiller prescriptions per 100 people. That’s lower than most states. Nationwide, 44 people die from these prescription drugs each day.
Southern Tier Assemblyman Joe Giglio says more prescribers need training on addiction.
“Most of the young folks that testified started out with a prescription drug, for a root canal or a sports injury, and that led them to the end of their prescriptions and then to finding the stuff on the street like heroin and other opiates,” said Giglio.
Lawmakers in New York plan to address the opioid addiction problem by increasing funding for treatment.
“We also want to regionalize the problem to find more beds, because there aren’t enough rehab beds for the people who need it, especially our districts that tend to be more rural,” said Giglio.
The Assembly task force report recommends a requirement that hospitals hold patients for 72 hours after an overdose reversal. The intention is to use the time to connect the person to a recovery program.