War On Opioids: More Than 200 Medical Professionals Rally

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Waging an ongoing war against heroin and other deadly drugs, more than 200 physicians and other medical professionals met with the Southampton Opioid Addiction Task Force Thursday night to work toward solutions.

The forum took place at Stony Brook / Southampton Hospital's Parrish Hall.

According to Drew Scott, co-chair of the task force, experts including Steve Chassman, executive director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., emphasized the need for additional treatment facilities to address the escalating opioid epidemic.

Other suggestions, Scott said, including the urgent need to find additional beds for treatment, to prescribe fewer opioid painkillers, and to encourage better insurance coverage of recovery.

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, Scott said, "is the only hospital on Long Island that is training all its doctors in drug and alcohol addiction procedures as part of their in-service training."

The medical treatment forum was organized to help stem the devastating tide of addiction.

Medical and treatment professional experts were asked to speak out to the task force's treatment sub-committee about "front line practices, what works, and what's needed to stop this deadly epidemic," organizers said.

When the task force was first formed in October, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said a full range of stakeholders were tapped to participate.

The group's mission is "to develop a concise action plan to address the crisis of opioid addiction and examine best practices and responses to reduce the opioid epidemic," town officials said.

The Southampton Town Opioid Addiction Task Force is comprised of 12 health care professionals, educators and community leaders who will make specific recommendations to the town board to help stop the growing opioid public health crisis.

The task force meets at least once a month and will present a plan to the town board by June 1, Scheiderman said.

The Southampton Opioid Addiction Task Force was formed in addition to the already established New York State Task Force to combat heroin and the newly created Suffolk County Heroin and Opiate advisory panel, Schneiderman said.

The Southampton task force is co-chaired by Schneiderman and newscaster Scott, who lost his beloved granddaughter Hallie to an overdose.

When asked why the task force was created, Schneiderman replied: "We've heard way too often lately, these stories about young people, in particular, falling victim to drug overdoses. We've got to come up with solutions to opioid addiction and drug overdoses. I don't have the answers. The idea is to pull educators, school administrators, police officers, social workers, mental health professionals, community leaders, elected officials — everybody — into the same room and try to generate a list of action items based on what's working in other areas."

Schneiderman added that, when discussing the crisis, suggestions such as keeping the drugs out of kids' hands by cutting off supplies may be offered, in the case of prescription pain killers, it's much more difficult.

Even if an attempt is made to stem that tide by addressing the issue of doctors who regularly prescribe opioids, "there are other pieces to why kids are engaging in at risk behaviors," Schneiderman said. "There are societal and mental health issues."

While the supervisor said he "doesn't claim to have all the answers," he said, "There is a growing concern about the problem and willingness to try and change the current course."

Schneiderman said he is happy that Scott joined the task force.

"Drew Scott's whole life has been rocked by this recent event," Schneiderman said. "And yet, he's willing to step up and co-chair this task force. Drew has an important role to play within the community. He's a trusted voice and well known, and he's been personally affected — and really wants to make a difference."

Patch courtesy photo.