Opioid crisis
A bill to cap the cost of insulin also ultimately failed.
NYC officials have millions of dollars from legal settlements that they can immediately spend to fight the opioid crisis. But they have not revealed any detailed plans, even as local nonprofits struggle for funding.
The money is undoubtedly arriving at a time when it’s urgently needed, as fatal drug overdoses in the five boroughs continue to break records.
The New York City centers in Harlem and Washington Heights are already saving lives, intervening in 43 overdoses during their first two weeks of operation.
Harlem residents say their neighborhood is bearing the brunt of opioid prevention programs that other neighborhoods fight to keep out. This trend puts commuter patients at risk, too.
The two centers will allow people to use drugs such as heroin under the care of medical professionals, while giving them access to addiction treatment and other services.
Testimonies called on legislators to look into why addiction treatment centers often turn away people with mental health issues.
Advocates for overdose prevention have some suggestions.
Spoiler: The Biden Administration
The pandemic has shut all kinds of doors for people recovering from addiction, especially those who’ve just been released from prison.
Thirteen activists were arrested on Wednesday while demanding Governor Cuomo approve a long-delayed city plan for safe injection facilities.
Nan Goldin and her activist group, P.A.I.N. Sackler, are calling museums to sever ties with the pharmaceutical family that's had a hand in developing OxyContin.