NY Governor Andrew Cuomo
ALBANY – New York is continuing in its effort to crack down on the illegal sale and distribution of heroin across the state.
That’s the message Tuesday from Governor Andrew Cuomo, who announced the next phase of the statewide #CombatHeroin and Prescription Drug Abuse awareness campaign to address the opioid epidemic in New York.
The campaign includes messages on billboards, posters, online advertisements, social media and commercials that will be aired across the state for four weeks. The messaging warns that alcohol overuse and abuse of prescription opioid medications are often a gateway to heroin use, and refers those who need help to New York State’s 24-hour addiction HOPEline.
The governor said that the state’s effort in fighting heroin and prescription drug abuse is raising awareness and helping to save lives – adding that heroin addiction can often start with other forms of drug use – and with this next phase of the Combat Heroin campaign, the state is working to break this cycle of abuse before it starts.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 15,000 people die every year of overdoses involving prescription painkillers nationwide, and nearly 4,400 died last year from heroin use – double that of 2011.
In 2014, there were more than 118,000 admissions into New York State-certified treatment programs for heroin and prescription opioid abuse – a 17.8% increase over 2009. The largest increase in opioid admissions during that time was patients ages 18 to 34.
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