Assemblymember Richard Gottfried stated, ” New York City has actually been working on syringe gain access to because we legislated non-prescription belongings of syringes in 2000. Syringe exchange programs have actually been an important tool in the battle to decrease HIV/AIDS and liver disease C transmission and safeguard drug userhealth Sadly, people are still getting jailed due to the fact that of technical spaces in the law. The costs Governor Hochul is signing will end up the task of legalizing belongings. I thank the lots of supporters and Senate sponsor Gustavo Rivera for years of effort on this concern and praise Governor Hochul for her swift action signing this crucial costs.”
Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal stated, ” More Brand-new Yorkers lost their lives to overdose in 2020 than ever previously, highlighting the urgent requirement for broadened encouraging services and damage decrease steps. This package of legislation acknowledges that addiction need to be dealt with as a public health matter, not an ethical stopping working. With as lots of as 80% of put behind bars New Yorkers fighting a substance use disorder, I am happy we will lastly make medication assisted treatment readily available to those in require behind the wall, simply as medical treatment is supplied for any other condition. I am likewise happy to see naloxone, a tool that continues to save many lives, be made more available with a directory site that will permit New Yorkers to quickly find it within theircommunities This package of expenses, consisting of the long past due decriminalization of hypodermic syringes and broadened gain access to to treatment through judicial diversion, sends out the clear message that New york city State is leading the battle to end overdose. I thank Governor Hochul for signing these expenses into law.”
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz stated, “Opioid villains such as naloxone (Narcan) are an extremely important tool in the battle versus overdose deaths, and we must be doing whatever we can to motivate their extensive accessibility. Professionals, consisting of drug treatment providers, physicians, and police, all have actually mentioned the significance of having opioid villains readily available in order to prevent overdose-related deaths. Thank you to Governor Hochul for finalizing this crucial costs into law so that people who might be in the very best position to reverse an overdose do not prevent bring Narcan out of worry of legal repercussions.”
John Coppola, Executive Director of the New York City Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Providers stated, ” As New york city State continues to experience an epidemic of overdose and addiction, the expenses signed by Governor Hochul, today, will help to move our reaction more towards a thorough public health approach and provide considerable tools to guarantee that all people have gain access to to the care they require.”
Ellen Morehouse, Executive Director of Trainee Assistance Solutions Corporation stated, “I praise Governor Hochul’s ongoing issue for those who are experiencing the opioid crisis and value her management in taking actions to address New york city’s other pandemic.”
Donna Lieberman, NYCLU’s Executive Director, stated, ” This law is an crucial action to provide people the medical care they are entitled to and save lives. Medication for opioid use disorder is not optional; it is essential for lots of New Yorkers experiencing our national opioid epidemic. Without these doctor-prescribed medications, people with opioid use disorder suffer agonizing withdrawal and face an increased threat of relapse, overdose, and death– results that are exacerbated for people recuperating from opioid use disorder in jail.Incarcerated people should have security, regard and self-respect, and state and county authorities have an commitment to provide care and honor the rights of the people in their custody. Provided the life and death repercussions at stake, the state needs to make speedy execution of this legislation a leading concern.”
Seep Varma, President, New York City Therapeutic Communities, stated, ” I praise Governor Hochul on finalizing this crucial legislation, so early in her administration indicating the significance dealing with the opioid epidemic and showing a dedication to supplying gain access to to addiction treatment, prevention and recovery services. I look forward to working with the Governor to establish strategies and services to effect this vital concern, which affects numerous New Yorkers.”
Allegra Schorr, President of the Union of Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers and Supporters, stated, “COMPA applauds Governor Kathy Hochul and the NYS legislature for enacting the opioid overdose expenses, Syringe Decriminalization (S2523/A868) and MAT in Jails and Jails ( S1795/A533). Limited gain access to to medication-assisted treatment threatens the wellness of put behind bars people who deal with up to 12 times the increased threat of death from drug- associated regressions upon release. This legislation guarantees that put behind bars people will now have gain access to to MAT, stopping the inhumane treatment that people with an opioid use disorder presently receive while put behind bars. It will decrease avoidable deadly drug overdoses and the transmission of infectious diseases.”
Tracie Gardner, Legal Action Center’s Vice President for Policy Advocacy stated, ” Legal Action Center applauds Governor Hochul for making overdose prevention an essential concern of her administration by signing legislation today acknowledges the method to fix this continuing overdose epidemic is with a health initiallyapproach In specific, legalizing syringe belongings provides an important path towards health and recovery for people whouse drugs Even more, medications to reward substance use disorder have actually long been comprehended to be the requirement of care, yet for too long people who are put behind bars have actually not had gain access to to these medications, which has actually straight led to an huge threat of overdose when people with substance use disorder reenter thecommunity The legislation that Governor Hochul is signing today will lastly guarantee gain access to to these medications in jails and prisons throughout the state to help people in their recovery and reverse this terrible epidemic.”
Kassandra Frederique, Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance, stated, “Today is a leap forward for dealing with overdose in New York City. For years, Drug Policy Alliance, VOCAL-NY, and our allies have actually been combating to get rid of criminal charges for syringes and broaden safe syringe gain access to as a public health tool. By signing syringe decriminalization into law, Governor Hochul is properly focusing on public health and evidence-based policy over stopped working heavy-handed drug war reasoning that has actually entirely stopped working to keep New Yorkers safe and has actually overthrown many lives. Governor Hochul is likewise charting a brand-new method forward by signing the costs to broaden gain access to to medications for opioid use disorder for people in prisons and jails throughout New york city. Our company believe that imprisonment is not the service to an individual’s troublesome drug use, and people who are having a hard time with drug use mustreceive medical care Presently, overdose is one of the leading causes of death for people who have actually just recently been launched from imprisonment– this costs relocations to address these widespread avoidable overdose deaths. Inducting people on an suitable medication for their use disorder is the ideal action to reduce the threat of deadly overdose and produce the prospective for long-lasting recovery from opioid dependence, regardless of whether they are in the community or put behind bars. This costs provides vital gain access to that has actually been callously obstructed for put behind bars people for too long. We praise Governor Hochul for taking these long-awaited actions to address avoidable overdose deaths and look forward to even more speedy action as New york city grapples with record-high overdose deathrates We can and need to move towards solution-oriented and evidence-based policies to save lives now.”
Leaders from VOCAL-NY’s Users Union stated, ” As people who have actually experienced excruciating withdrawal inside prisons and jails, and have actually been jailed for syringe belongings– we are elated that Governor Hochul has actually taken this essential action towards ending the overdose crisis by signing these 2 expenses. However our battle is far from over. Black and Brown New Yorkers continue to deal with barriers to life conserving medication and are criminalized for their drug use at out of proportion rates to those of white New Yorkers. It is our hope that Governor Hochul will ensure that these expenses are executed effectively, and continue to lead New york city on the course to end the racist and classist war on drugs that fuels our ravaging overdose crisis.”
Kayla Simpson, Staff Lawyer with the Prisoners’ Rights Task at The Legal Help Society stated, ” For too long, our customers put behind bars in state jails have actually been rejected gain access to to medications that are commonly acknowledged to be the requirementof care for opioid use disorder This barrier to treatment gain access to has actually long required our customers into needless suffering, destabilizing disturbances to their recovery, and major threat of overdose and death. This legislation is an important public health procedure, permitting physicians to make use of treatment for put behind bars patients that will merely conserve lives. The Legal Help Society thanks Senator Jamaal Bailey and Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal for their bold management in guiding this legislation and we applaud Governor Kathy Hochul for signing the costs into law.”
Debra Pantin, President and CEO of Outreach stated, “Outreach is honored to stand with Governor Hochul and the State Legislature today as she signs this package of expenses to meaningfully combat the opioid epidemic. Governor Hochul’s devotion to resolving this crisis precedes her seat at the Governor’s Workplace, as she has actually regularly fulfilled with and listened to households, supporters, partners in the Legislature, and providers like us for many years. Today marks a significant action in stemming the tide of this epidemic that has just raved more difficult together with the COVID-19 pandemic.”