CURRAN AND TASK FORCE RELEASE STATEWIDE REPORT ON HEROIN EPIDEMIC, EDUCATION & TREATMENT

Editor’s Note: Click here for an .mp4 file of Assemblyman Curran speaking about the Heroin Task Force report

Assemblyman Brian Curran (Lynbrook – 21st A.D.) today joined Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio (R,C,I-Gowanda), Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Committee on Corrections, and other members of the Assembly Republican Conference to release a statewide report on heroin abuse in New York State. Curran said the report was compiled by the Assembly Republican Task Force on Heroin Addiction & Community Response which came as a result of seven forums hosted across the state by Curran, Giglio and their colleagues. The report offers a comprehensive approach to addressing many of the issues relating to education and prevention, detoxification, rehabilitation, and recovery, called the HELP (Heroin ELimination & Prevention) Plan.

“Heroin addiction and abuse on Long Island and across the state is increasing rapidly, and something has to be done to protect our children, families and loved ones from this very dangerous path,” said Curran “These forums and this subsequent report highlighted the many struggles facing addicts as well as the individuals and organizations dedicated to combating heroin in our communities. The results of this report offer a multi-faceted approach to addressing this epidemic and educate and equip parents, guardians, mentors, neighbors and friends with prevention and life-saving skills in order to make our communities a safer place to live. It’s time to address the heroin epidemic as the devastating disease that it is and not the moral deficiency it is not.”

“It is our duty to work for our constituents, and, right now, communities all over the state are struggling to fight a growing heroin epidemic,” said Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio (R,C,I-Gowanda), task force chairman. “This goes beyond duty. Individuals who have lost a loved one to addiction, those currently battling addiction, and professionals working in rehab centers are frustrated. Using a multi-faceted approach as outlined in this report, we can begin to provide the necessary help to overcome the issue.”

The HELP (Heroin ELimination & Prevention) Plan suggests the following recommendations:

· Provide Drug and Heroin Education;

· Create Support Tools and Advocacy Programs;

· Increase Funding and Improve Methods for Treatment and Recovery;

· Reevaluate Insurance Parity Laws and Reimbursement Rates;

· Criminal Justice and Judicial Improvements; and

· Improve Connections Between Correctional System and Addiction Services.

Curran said local officials, healthcare providers, parents of addicted children, law enforcement, and individuals who were addicted to heroin spoke at the forums about the crippling effects of addiction as well as the cost to communities and families.

Curran has been working closely with Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, local elected officials, local community organizations, and law enforcement on workshops, trainings, forums and other events that address the heroin epidemic on Long Island. He further noted his advocacy in combating the heroin epidemic when he voted for a package of 11 bills in 2014 that would help combat the growing danger and epidemic of heroin use on Long Island and across the state.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heroin deaths have quadrupled in the decade between 2002 and 2013, and according to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, New York accounts for about 20 percent of federal drug seizures every year.

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