Murphy Addresses Heroin Epidemic at Mt Kisco Meeting

New York State Senator Terrence Murphy delivered his fourth “legislative update” Tuesday to the Mount Kisco Town/Village Board.

His focus was next steps in New York’s war on heroin.

“Having traveled the State hearing firsthand accounts of the tragedy raging through our communities it is clear we need a mechanism to keep overdose patients, who have been saved by NARCAN, from being sent home where they are in danger of doing greater harm to themselves,” Murphy said in a prepared statement. “I have heard several testimonials from addicts, and parents of addicts, who have been discharged by hospitals after being saved by NARCAN only to return home and overdose once again. That is a malfunction of the system which needs to be addressed.”

One thing he considers a victory this year was the expansion of drug treatment options for addicts. Senate Bill S.4239B, which Governor Cuomo signed into law in September, expands those who qualify for drug court treatments.

He pointed out that since 1990 the Town/Village of Mount Kisco has been a model for local drug court programs. Its program was expanded in 2012 thanks to a grant applied for by the Local Drug Abuse Prevention Council, which an entity that municipalities have the option to establish locally under the general municipal law in order to combat addiction.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that drug overdose deaths have hit an all-time high. More than 47,000 people died last year from drug overdoses, which is a 14 percent spike.

“This is a crisis I remain fully committed to addressing,” Murphy said. “We need to continue to build on the successes of last year, which will help our efforts to bring awareness, increase prevention and provide the proper treatment to those in need.”