Andy Goodell
ALBANY – Chautauqua County Assemblyman Andy Goodell (R,C,I-Jamestown) is calling on his colleagues to pass legislation to address the heroin epidemic before the end of this year’s session on June 16.
Goodell has co-sponsored a number of bipartisan bills to address the heroin crisis, including bills that would:
- Require insurance companies to cover at least seven days of detox treatment and 30 days of rehabilitation services,
- Limit the amount of opioids prescribed at one time,
- Require patients to receive informational materials from a pharmacy or hospital about the dangers of addiction and sources for help whenever they receive a prescription for opioids,
- Expand the amount of data collected regarding drug overdoses,
- Extend the time period that an individual can be held for substance abuse emergency care from 24 to 78 hours and establish involuntary commitment criteria, thereby ensuring that more addicts receive appropriate treatment,
- Establish assisted outpatient treatment for those with a substance abuse disorder, and
- Provide that possession of 40 or more bags of heroin is presumptive evidence of an intent to sell, thereby increasing the severity of the crime.
Goodell says the negative effects of the drug crisis are not limited to those with addiction, adding that a substantial amount of neighborhood crime is related to the drug trade, including an increase in burglaries, home invasions and drug-related violence.
The legislation supported by Goodell is in addition to his support earlier this year of $166 million in funding for the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), which includes $25 million specifically for opioid and heroin treatment and prevention.
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