With record numbers of City residents dying from drug overdoses involving opioids last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray today launched a new initiative aimed at reducing opioid overdose deaths by 35 percent over the next 5 years.
Dubbed HealingNYC, the comprehensive effort comes after more than 1,000 people in New York City died last year in drug overdose involving opioids – more than those who died in car accidents and homicides combined.
Between 2015 and 2016, the number of opioid-involved overdose deaths increased by more than 300. This dramatic increase is driven by the introduction of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times stronger than the painkiller morphine, into the supply of illicit drugs.
Before 2015, fentanyl was involved in fewer than five percent of all overdose deaths in New York City. Almost 90 percent of fatal opioid overdoses in 2016 involved heroin or fentanyl, while 18 percent involved prescription opioid painkillers.
According to the City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan the black market drug supply in New York City is saturated with deadly fentanyl concoctions. Fentanyl is mixed in with heroin, cocaine, and counterfeit pills, and anyone who uses any amount of illegal drugs risks exposure to a lethal dose, she said.
“The opioid epidemic is a growing crisis that affects not only users, but also their loved ones,” said de Blasio. “If we’re going to start winning the battle against opioids, we need to start talking honestly about what works and invest in the strategic measures that will stop abuse, break addiction and save lives. HealingNYC is our plan to treat and help those struggling with addiction – and prevent more from falling under the control of these powerful drugs.”
Through HealingNYC, the City will focus its efforts on four main goals to combat this epidemic, and invest $38 million annually at full ramp-up to implement the following strategies:
-
Prevent opioid overdose deaths – The City will distribute 100,000 naloxone kits to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the NYPD, the Department of Social Services and Correctional Health Services, a division of NYC Health + Hospitals, so that healthcare providers, first responders and shelter providers can have access to the tools they need to save lives.
-
Prevent opioid misuse and addiction – In 2017, ThriveNYC will create additional mental health clinics in high-need schools that account for a disproportionate share of suspensions and mental health issues, which can be precursors for substance misuse. As part of the City’s ongoing effort to raise awareness about addiction and end the stigmas attached to seeking effective treatment, the City will build on “Save a Life, Carry Naloxone” public awareness campaign and will connect up to five of the communities at highest risk with targeted prevention messages and care. The City will also expand the Nonfatal Overdose Response System (NORS) to a total of 10 high-risk neighborhoods, up from three from 2017 to 2019.
-
Connect New Yorkers to effective treatment – An additional 20,000 New Yorkers will have access to medication-assisted treatment by 2022. NYC Health + Hospitals will transform its substance use care models to become a system of excellence in addressing harmful opioid use. The City will also build on the work of the Mayor’s Task Force on Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice System to target treatment and expand resources in the criminal justice system.
-
Reduce the supply of dangerous opioids – In 2017, the Administration will make new investments in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the NYPD, including assigning 84 detectives and hiring 50 lab personnel to combat the epidemic and disrupt the supply of opioids before they come into the city.
Several of Brooklyn’s elected officials hailed the initiative and cheered the de Blasio Administartion for recognizing its’ importance.
“To combat the opioid crisis facing our city, we must stem the supply, address the factors that have helped create the demand, as well as provide the resources that can help those currently struggling and at risk for addiction, misuse, and/or overdose,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “I appreciate the de Blasio Adminstration’s investment in strategies to meet these challenges, as we work together to save lives in Brooklyn and beyond.”
Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said his office remains committed to a comprehensive approach involving the criminal justice system that includes education, treatment, but also the removal of dangerous drug dealers from the streets stop the loss of so many young and promising lives.
Council Member Stephen Levin (D-Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Boerum Hill, Williamsburg said opioid misuse is an epidemic that hits close to home for many New Yorkers, so it’s critical that each of us learn how to intervene in a crisis or connect to effective treatment.
“This summer, our office hosted a naloxone training and my staff learned the simple steps to prevent overdose, so I am pleased thatHealingNYC will help more community members acquire the skills they need to successfully save a life,” said Levin.
