Congressman Tom Reed called for more to be done to combat opioid abuse throughout our region as the heroin epidemic reached a fever pitch in local communities. “We care about the people that are struggling with addiction, their loved ones and those who have lost friends or family due to the horrors of heroin and opioid abuse,” said Reed. “We’ve heard from parents across our region that have been impacted by this and the heartache it has caused. As this problem continues to grow, it’s only right that we make efforts to turn the tide.”
Reed recently led a letter with other New York congressional members to the President which requested the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy visit Upstate New York to hear from local stakeholders who are working to combat this problem.
“We need to create opportunity so people have hope and aren’t in the emotional or mental state that would encourage them to turn to substance abuse for emotional reconciliation,” said Reed. “We also need to listen to the people on the front lines of dealing with these issues, especially as we expect to address it on a national level. The best policy solutions always come from them.”
Local officials have also supported these efforts. “Chautauqua County has been fighting the heroin epidemic using every available resource under our control,” Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan. “I applaud Congressman Reed for inviting the White House to visit our County to see firsthand the challenges faced by those devastated by opioid and heroin abuse in order to bring additional resources to bear in the fight against this national problem.”
Local law enforcement is also working on comprehensive solutions and provided insight on this issue. “Heroin abuse is epidemic and it is cheap, very addictive, and deadly and requires a multifaceted approach of awareness, education and prevention, law enforcement apprehension of dealers of this deadly drug, programs for those addicted and incarcerated in jail, and local resources for the addict that seeks treatment and recovery, as well as family counseling and support services,” said Yates County Sheriff Ron Spike.
According to the letter, in 2014, there were over 18,893 deaths from opioid over doses and an additional 10,574 deaths from heroin nationally. New York State saw roughly 2,300 drug overdose deaths. From 2009 until 2013, 12 upstate New York counties saw the number of heroin overdoses jump by 417 percent.