August 29, 2014
(Albany, NY) The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) today reminded New Yorkers of the help available to individuals, families, and communities dealing with opioid and heroin abuse as the state marks Opioid Overdose Prevention Day. “Overdose from heroin and prescription pain killers is a serious public health concern that is impacting families in every part of New York State.” said Commissioner González-Sánchez. “We thank Governor Cuomo for his commitment and dedication to combating this formidable epidemic.” In June, Governor Cuomo signed legislation designed to combat the growing heroin and opioid epidemic in communities across the State. The legislation includes new programs and insurance reforms to improve treatment options for individuals living with heroin and opioid addiction; new clinical review criteria and models of care that will allow people to be treated in community based treatment facilities; new models of services to support people after they have had treatment; provisions that enable parents to secure assessment for their children through the PINS diversion process; and expands the availability of the opioid antagonist naloxone, which can reverse the effects of a heroin overdose. To date, OASAS’ 12 Addiction Treatment Centers (ATCs) in communities across New York State have trained nearly 4,000 people on the use of naloxone. OASAS will continue to offer these training sessions to provide skills and resources for family members, concerned citizens, and first responders. Register for upcoming heroin and opioid overdose prevention training sessions at one of OASAS’ 12 ATC centers. OASAS also continues to work with the New York State Department of Health and the State Division of Criminal Justice Services to expand a program to train first responders including police officers, firefighters, sheriffs’ deputies, and emergency services personnel on the use of naloxone and to help those agencies obtain the medication at no cost. OASAS oversees one of the nation’s largest addiction services systems with more than 1,600 prevention, treatment, and recovery programs. OASAS treatment programs assist about 100,000 people on any given day and more than 240,000 individuals every year. Individuals or families who need help with substance abuse can call the toll-free OASAS HOPEline at 1-877-846-7369 to speak with a trained medical professional. HOPEline staff can answer questions and help people find treatment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential. To view Governor Cuomo’s proclamation, go to: Opioid Overdose Prevention Day Proclamation PDF Document (Word version Microsoft Word File). For more information, visit www.oasas.ny.gov.