SAFE GC Coalition: NYSDOH Opioid Report Prevention Strategies

According to the 2024 NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) Opioid Annual Report, both fatal and nonfatal overdoses involving opioids have increased since 2010. While efforts had initially slowed increases in fatal overdose, the COVID-19 pandemic impacts resulted in another sharp increase with opioid-related overdose deaths reaching historic levels of over 5,300 in 2022.

Provisional data by the CDC have shown that overdose deaths involving drugs in NYS have declined considerably during 2023 to early 2024. However, NYS remains cautiously optimistic and continues to focus on leveraging every tool available, from innovative prevention, treatment, harm reduction, to recovery services, to reach more New Yorkers who are impacted by the overdose epidemic.

The report discusses the state’s efforts to implement public health programming to prevent death from opioid overdoses. The State’s multi-pronged approach also includes a focus on building overdose response capacity within communities throughout the state via the Community Opioid Overdose Prevention programs.

Governor Hochul has highlighted the need to continue expanding and enhancing the public health approach to fight the opioid crisis. To that end, the NYSDOH and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) coordinate to enhance existing public health programs, interventions, and healthcare system-based approaches, as well as develop novel strategies and programs. Deploying a public health strategy to address the crisis includes, but is not limited to, prevention programs, harm reduction services, ensuring linkage to treatment and clinical care, strengthening public health surveillance and epidemiology, and implementing evidence-based community interventions

Consistent with the NYSDOH vision and mission, programs and interventions designed to fight the opioid crisis recognize historic and structural racism, rely on person-centered services and anti-stigma premises. Program and interventions are developed and implemented based on the following premises:

The NYSDOH has used evidence-based strategies and implemented and supported a wide range of programs focused on primary prevention (interventions designed to reduce the exposure to opioids and associated risks), secondary prevention (aimed at diagnosing and treating SUDs) and tertiary prevention designed to prevent life-threatening and adverse outcomes associated with drug use including infectious disease prevention.

Primary prevention is aimed towards reducing exposure to opioids and associated risks, including prevention of SUD. Specific strategies include monitoring and identifying improper and/or fraudulent prescribing through strengthening the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) by modernizing and improving ease of access; Implementing programs for safe disposal of unused controlled substance medications and expanding the options available to collect controlled substances for purpose of disposal, including take-back events, mail-back programs, and collection receptacle locations.

Secondary prevention strategies focus on expanding access for screening, diagnoses, and treatment of opioid and other SUDs well as initiatives to reduce stigma. Specific strategies include providing clinician education on how to identify and treat SUD; Increase access and utilization of evidence-based medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) by increasing access to treatment; Reduce stigma.

For tertiary prevention, the NYSDOH deploys and coordinates interventions to expand capacity to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses, works to enhance data infrastructure to strengthen response capacity, and focuses on reducing the prevalence of HIV and HCV among persons who use drugs. Specific strategies include assisting local public health partners and community coalitions in building capacity to address the opioid crisis by supporting the implementation of evidence-based interventions such as Post-overdose Outreach teams and Overdose Fatality Reviews; Providing timely public access to county-level data on major opioid-related measures and near real-time data through a surveillance program data to prepare, identify, and respond to drug overdose spikes; Continuing to adopt new, and adapt existing, testing technologies to monitor the illicit drug supply, and rapidly identify emergent risks while providing people who use drugs tools such as fentanyl and xylazine test strips and point of care drug checking services to increase their information and awareness of substance use risk; Expanding support for and access to harm reduction interventions.

Research on the opioid epidemic and the prevention of opioid overdose mortalities repeatedly discuss the need for policymakers to quickly advance legislation to address gaps in drug prevention, harm reduction and treatment, including efforts to improve access to naloxone, telehealth and methadone. It is imperative that policymakers continue to support and develop ongoing comprehensive, evidence-based strategies to address this issue.

To recognize the signs of overdose and take advantage of the resources available through Opioid Overdose Prevention Program to help those in need. People with questions or requests for additional information should contact opioidprevention@health.ny.gov.

The York State Department of Health (the Department) oversees the health, safety, and well-being of New Yorkers utilizing new developments in science as critical tools in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. To read the 2024 Opioid Annual Report please visit https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/opioid/data/pdf/nys_opioid_annual_r....

SAFE, Inc. is the only alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention and education agency in the City of Glen Cove. Its Coalition is conducting an opioid prevention awareness campaign entitled, "Keeping Glen Cove SAFE," to educate and update the community regarding opioid use and its consequences. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencove or visit SAFE’s website to learn more about the Opioid Epidemic at www.safeglencove.org.