New 3-Pronged Fight Against Heroin, Prescription Drug Abuse in Nanuet

In Rockland County, residents are more likely to die from a drug overdose than a traffic crash.

“That must change,” said District Attorney Thomas Zugibe, speaking at a press conference Sept. 17 to announce a new initiative to address the heroin and prescription drug addiction epidemic.

Here’s what kind of a problem it is: 16 people have died in Rockland from overdoses since January 2014. Overdose deaths in New York State have increased nearly 500 percent since 2007. Users often move to heroin from pills because of the cost. Roughly five million Americans, from ages 12 on up, have tried heroin at least once, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. One in four will become addicted.

Rockland’s new community action plan, created in close partnership with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is divided into three areas:

Targeted Enforcement—sharing data between agencies and collecting more information from families, victims, hospitals, to better dismantle heroin and prescription drug trafficking networks

Treatment—will continue to focus on young adults, the demographic group most affected by heroin and opioid abuse. The District Attorney’s Office, working with the Rockland County Department of Mental Health, Nyack Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, the Rockland Council on Alcoholism & Other Drug Dependence Inc. (RCADD) and other contract agencies, will provide information to heroin users, in court, for immediate treatment options and resources. Drug abuse charges will be used to focus attention on an individual’s addiction and recognize a developing problem for both the addict and his/her family.

Prevention/Education—specialized training for prosecutors, local law enforcement and school districts

“We can’t put our heads in the sand. The heroin scourge is impacting ALL of Rockland County. It’s happening to wealthy families, to poor families. It doesn’t know any boundaries,” said Rockland County Executive Ed Day. “ That’s why it’s critical that every level of government work together with treatment experts and schools to reverse this devastating trend and improve health and public safety in our neighborhoods.”