Pubdate: Tue, 05 Aug 2014
Source: Poughkeepsie Journal (NY)
Copyright: 2014 Poughkeepsie Journal
Contact: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/news/forms/letter_form.htm
Website: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1224
Author: Ned P. Rauc

SCHUMER WANTS FUNDING TO FIGHT HEROIN 'EPIDEMIC'

CARMEL - Sen. Charles Schumer stood in front of the sheriff's office 
here and declared heroin abuse in Putnam County an "epidemic" in need 
of the federal government's attention and resources.

He rattled off a list of harrowing figures: heroin arrests in Putnam 
have increased 300 percent in the last two years. Heroin-related 
deaths have quadrupled during that time.

"The battle against heroin is one we must win," Schumer said, flanked 
by County Executive MaryEllen Odell, advocates and law enforcement 
officials. "Too many beautiful young lives are wasted by this epidemic."

Moments later, Susan Salomone took the podium, holding in front of 
her a picture of her 29-year-old son Justin, who died two years ago 
of a heroin overdose. Following his death, she founded the advocacy 
group Drug Crisis in Our Backyard.

"It's an insidious disease that creeps up on people," she said, 
building on a point she had made earlier, that "without treatment, 
it's just going to continue."

Schumer said he had requested that Putnam and Rockland counties be 
deemed "high-intensity drug trafficking areas." The designation would 
allow the two counties to receive funding and assistance from the 
federal government for anti-drug efforts.

In a separate statement, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-Cold 
Spring, (D-Cold Spring) called for an "all-hands-on-deck" response to 
the problem and, like Schumer, requested the special status for the 
Hudson Valley's counties.

The designation, which has already been granted to Westchester, is 
made by the president's Office of National Drug Control Policy. It 
opens funding streams and helps federal, state and local law 
enforcement agencies share information and coordinate their strategies.

According to Schumer's office, 17 New York counties are included in 
the New York-New Jersey high-intensity drug trafficking area. 
Nationally, 16 percent of all counties -covering 60 percent of the 
country's population - are enrolled in the program.

Putnam Sheriff Donald Smith said the funding would be used to bolster 
three main components of the county's response to heroin abuse: law 
enforcement; education and awareness; and treatment.

"Being designated," Smith said, "we have a chance."

Schumer also said he had asked for a "$100 million surge" of federal 
funding for the program.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom