Pubdate: Tue, 18 Jul 2017
Source: Newsday (NY)
Copyright: 2017 Newsday Inc.
Contact:  http://www.newsday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/308
Author: Lisa Irizarry

TASK FORCE ON HEROIN, OPIOID ADDICTION TO MEET ON LONG ISLAND

A special legislative task force formed to examine the effect of the
opioid addiction scourge on Long Island and elsewhere throughout the
state is scheduled to meet Wednesday in Mineola.

The State Senate's Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction
meeting will be held at 4 p.m. at the NYU Winthrop Hospital Research
and Academic Center in Mineola, a hospital spokesman said.

Similar meetings have been held around the state as the task force
seeks to understand how the increase in overdoses and addiction
connected to heroin and other opioids is impacting
communities.

The panel is expected to hear from law enforcement officials,
addiction experts, health care professionals, and recovering addicts
and their loved ones.

Included among those scheduled to give testimony to the panel are
members of the Nassau County and Floral Park police departments and
the Suffolk County Medical Society.

The public is invited to attend the meeting. The Research and Academic
Center is located at 101 Mineola Blvd.

Lawmakers included more than $200 million in this year's state budget
for efforts to prevent and fight addiction.

Data released in April by the medical examiner's offices in Suffolk
and Nassau counties showed that nearly 500 people died from opioid
overdoses on Long Island last year -- the most ever -- with the highly
potent drug fentanyl accounting for most of the deaths.
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