New York City Council efforts to confront opioid deaths push forward

Members of a New York City Council committee see a three-pronged approach as the next step to fighting opioid addiction.

The council’s Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addiction unanimously passed eight bills on June 5 aimed at helping to curb New York City’s opioid crisis. The epidemic killed at least 1,461 people last year, especially in the Bronx and Staten Island, but a three-pronged approach could go a long ways towards saving lives, according to Committee Chair Diana Ayala.

“We need a combination of more comprehensive education, enhanced referrals for services, and better data collection from agencies,” she said in an interview with New York Nonprofit Media after the meeting.

There was a 55-percent increase in overdose deaths from 2015 to 2017, according to city data. While the bills can’t solve this crisis by themselves, they represent progress that can be continued down the road, Ayala said during the meeting.

“We want to attack this problem from every angle possible, and that’s exactly what this package established,” said Ayala. “This is not the last time we will be addressing this problem as a city, but I hope things will be better the next time we do.”

Nonprofits such as Project Renewal and Coalition for the Homeless have testified in support of increasing the accessibility of opioid antagonists such as Naloxone. Preventive measures are crucial to proactively addressing the crisis, Homeless Services United Executive Director Catherine Trapani said at a February 27 hearing.

“All shelters, safe havens, and drop-in centers should be resourced to provide their clients with access to primary care,” said Trapani. “We need to employ every single available tool to ensure that no more lives are needlessly lost to fatal overdoses.”

Here’s a rundown of the bills:

Tracking city agencies’ use of opioid antagonists

A bill introduced by Councilman Andrew Cohen would require FDNY to report to the council how many opioid antagonists, such as Naloxone, the department has, how often they use them, and how many EMTs are trained in how to administer them. The NYPD would have to provide the council with the same information under a similar bill, sponsored by Councilman Jumaane Williams.

A third bill, introduced by Councilman Ritchie Torres, would require the Municipal Drug Strategy Advisory Council to report to the council the number of opioid antagonists distributed to city agencies overall. And the opioid reversal and prevention training that the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene already provides to the public will formally continue under a bill introduced by Torres.

Syringe exchange programs to receive overdose reversal drugs

The DOHMH would be required to provide syringe exchange programs with overdose reversal drugs under a bill introduced by Councilwoman Diana Ayala. Exchange program staff would also be trained to administer reversal drugs.

Mandatory referrals to drug treatment

The Department of Social Services and the Department of Homeless Services would be required to refer addicts who are receiving opioid antagonists and are residing in DHS or HIV/AIDS Service Administration shelters to additional services, according to a proposal from Torres.

Opioid awareness education

City students will learn about the dangers of opioids through educational materials created by the DOHMH, according to legislation introduced by Councilman Justin Brannan. The Department of Education and the Department of Youth and Community Development will then distribute the materials. Brannan also introduced a resolution calling on the DOE to specifically include opioid awareness education in the school curriculum.