Thousands of New Yorkers, mostly young adults, are dying every year from heroin and opioid use — and CSEA members are increasingly at the center of the fight against this epidemic.
In fall 2014, The Work Force explored in depth the effects of the heroin epidemic on our members both on and off the job. Despite nonstop efforts to combat the crisis, the state’s heroin and opioid epidemic has only grown since then. Nearly every community in our state has been affected by the heroin epidemic.
Many experts, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse, attribute the surge of heroin and opioid use to an increase of prescription painkillers. In numerous cases, people have reported turning to heroin because heroin is less expensive, more potent and easier to access than the prescription medicine.
Our members have been at the forefront of the fight against heroin and opioids. We provide vital substance abuse treatment services at public and private hospitals and other health care facilities, educate the public about the dangers of substance abuse and administer prevention programs, provide support and protection to family members who are affected by the drug abuse and help enforce laws to end drug use and distribution. CSEA members also provide training for people to administer naloxone; free training is available in many communities across the state.
Even members whose jobs don’t traditionally include these types of services have seen the effects of the heroin epidemic, including dealing with use and overdoses at public facilities such as libraries. Other members, like too many New Yorkers, may also have a loved one who is using heroin or opioids.
Heroin overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in New York, and the numbers are staggering.
The state Comptroller’s Office reports that in 2014 alone (the latest year statistics were available), 825 people have died of heroin overdoses (a jump of nearly 25 percent over 2013’s rates) and 1,008 more individuals have died of prescription opioid abuse.
The state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) reported that between 2005 and 2014, upstate New York had a 222 percent increase (and a 242 increase for Long Island) in admissions to state-certified substance abuse treatment programs for people between 18 and 24 years of age for heroin and opioids.
The governor recently signed into law several bills to fight the epidemic. CSEA strongly supported the legislation, which will help our members and other New Yorkers more easily provide services to fight drug abuse — and hopefully save lives.
