Gov. Hochul Refers To Opioid Addiction In State Of The State, DPA Suggests More Overdose Prevention Centers

New York Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her 2023 state of the state address on Tuesday, sharing her plan to make New York a better place. Among many issues, Hochul touched on strengthening mental health care, drugs and overdose troubles. She also shared a strategy for promoting equity and social justice in the NY cannabis space.

Hochul said mental health care should be available to everyone, no matter the age or the problem.

“So whether we’re talking about a child with behavioral challenges, or an adult suffering from depression no one should go without a screening or a doctor’s appointment or counseling,” she said. “And cost should never be a barrier.”

“That includes care for those suffering from addiction, especially those struggling with opioids,” Hochul continued adding that her family also experienced the pain of losing a loved one. 

“That’s why we will do more, working with federal and local partners, to stop the flow of illicit drugs into our communities and address new deadly additives like xylazine. We’ll send resources to localities that are working to shut down fentanyl suppliers.” Xylazine is a sedative found in illicit opioids.

Hochul said that the state will continue to develop and make available technology that can detect deadly additives before they are used. She said the state would establish an interagency task force to consider every possible solution.

Not Enough: Community Response

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) issued a statement on Hochul's plans. The DPA, which focuses on promoting alternatives to the war on drugs, applauded Hochul’s commitment to prioritize substance treatment, education and prevention by making drug-checking technology available, but the group said the governor “could be doing more.”

“One notable absence from her plan is the funding and expansion of overdose prevention centers. If she truly took the bold and courageous action she claims to support, she would use her powers to authorize overdose prevention centers and provide funds from the state’s opioid settlement pot to save the lives of thousands of New Yorkers,” the DPA stated. 

In Dec. 2021 New York City became the first in the nation to open two overdose prevention centers (OPC) where people can use illicit drugs and receive medical care and services.

Overdose prevention centers are safe spaces for people to consume pre-obtained drugs in controlled settings under the supervision of trained staff and with access to sterile consumption equipment, tools to check their supply for the presence of fentanyl, and connections to health care, counseling, and referrals to health and social services, including drug treatment.  

In just three weeks after NYC opened the OPCs, city officials said the sites had saved dozens of lives.

“The two OPCs in New York City have intervened in nearly 700 overdoses in just over one year of operation and, yet, are struggling to stay open without government funding. Instead, the Governor is taking a step backward and pledging support for more of the failed drug war responses that have only made our drug supply more dangerous,” according to the DPA. “New bans and criminal penalties will undermine efforts to keep people out of jails and prisons by undoubtedly resulting in the criminalization of the very people who are in need of support and will do nothing to increase access to life-saving tools and interventions.”

New Jersey Gov. Also Focused On Opioid Crisis 

Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also gave his state-of-the-state address on Tuesday. The governor said he will roll out a “nation-leading” plan to make the opioid overdose drug naloxone - also known by the brand name Narcan - available free and anonymously to anyone who walks into a pharmacy. He said the plan could save countless lives. In New Jersey, drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental deaths.

You can watch Hochul’s State of the State Address in the video below: 

Photo: Benzinga edit with images from Wikimedia Commons (Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York from United States of America) and cottonbro studio on Pexels