Albany, NY – Today, fifty-six state legislators led by State Senate Chair of the Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders Committee Nathalia Fernandez and Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas along with Emily Gallagher and Dr. Anna Kelles sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul urging her to declare a state of emergency on the opioid crisis. New York State is facing a public health crisis – the devastating increase of people suffering from drug overdoses and opioid-related deaths, with Black, Brown and low-income communities disproportionately affected. In 2022 alone, the State saw approximately 6,670 overdose deaths and over 10,000 emergency room visits involving overdoses. Every 90 minutes, a New Yorker dies a preventable death due to an overdose.

The call from the New York State Senators and Assembly Members demanding Governor Hochul to declare an Overdose State Disaster Emergency follows calls from advocacy groups to the Governor to do the same and is the latest demonstration in increasing urgency for New York to address overdose deaths. Lawmakers noted that it is imperative that the State prioritize public health and take the most proactive action possible to save the lives of New Yorkers. As reported in New York Focus, “Massachusetts became the first state to declare a state of emergency over the opioid crisis in 2014, and at least seven other states have since taken the step. The federal government declared one in 2017.” In recent coverage, Robert Kent, former general counsel for the Biden administration’s Office of National Drug Control Policy noted that “deaths in New York state from opioids are now at 7,000 people per year and rising at a rate of 10% per year.”

The legislators are proposing a number of immediate actions, including waiving all cost sharing for individuals attempting to access treatment and increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for treatment services. They also proposed loosening staffing requirements in the OASAS rules by allowing Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN’s) to be listed as Qualified Healthcare Providers, allowing different licensed professionals including Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) to sign off on a patient going into inpatient treatment, and waiving the requirement for workers to have a Bachelor's degree to become a supervisor if they have relevant lived or personal experience; and giving more access to community based organizations to enhance overdose prevention.

“Fentanyl and Xylazine have made this public health crisis even more severe and every death can be connected to inaction by government. Overdose deaths are only rising and it is time for us to treat this disaster like the COVID-19 and gun violence public health emergencies. We must declare an opioid public health emergency so that we can more quickly implement evidence-based solutions that will help us to treat individuals with opioid use disorders at a macro level. Communities of color are suffering disproportionately from this epidemic and it is time to take it more seriously, take bold action, and save lives now,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.