War On Opioids: New App, 'Stay Alive LI' Helps Prevent ODs

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — With devastating opioid deaths an escalating crisis on Long Island and nationwide, Suffolk County has introduced a new app that provides critical, life-saving information — and can prevent overdoses at a moment when every second counts.

According to the app's description, "Suffolk County government is proud to present the free “Stay Alive L.I.”, a smartphone app to provide up to date, on the go information about substance abuse resources and services in our communities."

According to Drew Scott, who lost his beloved granddaughter Hallie to a heroin overdose, the app is a potential lifesaver. "It's a great new tool in the battle against opioid addiction," he said.

The app includes information on overdose reversal, including a visual guide on how to administer Naloxone, as well as information that can help to try and keep a person alive until emergency services arrive.

Scott has dedicated his time to raising awareness and fighting the war against opioids since the deadly epidemic claimed the life of his beautiful granddaughter — Hallie Ulrich, 22, was found dead on an East Hampton road in September after a battle with heroin addiction.

Scott, who spoke at the Melville Chamber of Commerce Thursday, has pledged to tell Hallie's story and spotlight how important it is not to allow the stigma surrounding heroin and opioid addiction cloud the dire need for funding and awareness.

Scott is also co-chairing a new Southampton Opioid Addiction Task Force.

A lifesaving app

The app is a free service intended to help those seeking assistance for substance abuse and their families to locate hospitals, treatment centers, organizations, and support services quickly and easily, the app's descriptions said.

The app is divided into three color-coded sections regarding substance abuse issues, resources for treatment, support and training, and immediate emergency assistance.

Individuals can use their phone’s location information to find services and resources available nearby, experts say.

The Suffolk County Health Department may provide alerts regarding substance abuse emergencies and crises, too.

The app, the county said, is intended for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical, mental health or substance abuse assistance. "While Suffolk County has compiled this information for reference purposes, it cannot be responsible for treatment or service given by a provider or guarantee the resources listed therein will be able to meet a specific individual’s needs," the app's description said.

Statistics released in 2016 confirmed what so many devastated families already know to be heartbreakingly true: Suffolk County leads New York State in heroin-related overdose deaths by a wide margin.

Between 2009 and 2013, 337 heroin-related deaths were reported in Suffolk County.

The "New York State Opioid Poisoning, Overdose and Prevention,"report prepared for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature "provides an overview of opioid-related mortality and morbidity and other consequences of heroin and prescription opioid misuse across the state over the last five years," the document states.

The report indicates that 337 people died from heroin overdoses in Suffolk County during a five-year period, more than in the Bronx, which recorded slightly over 200 such deaths, the second-highest rate in the same period. There were 128 heroin-related deaths in Nassau County.

The report also indicates that Suffolk County is plagued by cheap heroin coming into the United States, lawmakers said, with hospitals and outpatient treatment facilities swamped by an ever-escalating number of cases and Narcan saves rising dramatically.

According to the report, opioid-related emergency department visits increased 73 percent from 2010 to 2014. The number of heroin-related deaths increased in 2013 to 637, and opioid analgesics related deaths rose to 952, increases of 163 percent and 30 percent from 2009, respectively, the report states.

In 2013, an average of two New Yorkers a day died of heroin-related overdoses, the report said. More than four times as many men died of one of these overdoses compared to women; whites died of heroin-related overdoses at a rate of nearly twice that of blacks, and almost 1.35 times that of Hispanics.

"The upward trend in heroin-related overdose fatalities among younger New Yorkers is particularly alarming," the report states. "Half the people who died were under age 35."

Numbers not surprising

"These numbers are absolutely devastating, but shouldn't be a surprise to anyone," said Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, president and chief executive officer of the Family and Children's Association in Mineola. "Treatment professionals and bereaved families have, for more than a decade now, been warning about the worsening crisis. There are still gaps in school-based prevention, waiting lists for treatment slots, insurance company barriers to care and too few resources designed to support those who do find a path to recovery."

Although Narcan saves are reported daily, Reynolds said education is critical: "The widespread distribution of naloxone has prevented many overdose fatalities, but too often, I'm seeing folks revived, brought to an emergency room only to be discharged within an hour and dead of a subsequent overdose within 24 hours. This is a huge missed opportunity and we need to make sure that those who are revived are properly counseled, their families are supported and we help them find a path into treatment."

He added, "If we truly want to turn a corner and see a drop in overdose fatalities, we need an all-out sustained push that involves everyone – schools, cops, health care professionals, treatment providers, families and entire communities. And we all have to agree than one overdose is too many."

RELATED:

• News Anchor Drew Scott Vows To Shatter Stigma Of Heroin, Opioid Addiction
• One Woman's Recovery From The Hell Of Heroin: 'My Worst Day Sober Is Better Than My Best Day Using'
• After Son's Heroin Overdose, 'Guardian Angel' Mom Finds Hope, Saves Others
• Suffolk Leads State in Heroin Overdose Deaths: Heartbroken Mom Shares Pain at Losing Son to Epidemic
• Face of Fentanyl: One Woman's Story Of Deadly Drug That's Surpassing Heroin In Long Island Deaths
• Lethal New Drug Laced Into Heroin So Strong It's Used as Elephant Sedative

Photos courtesy Drew Scott.