ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE
ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON HEALTH
ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON CODES
NOTICE OF ROUNDTABLES
New York City
Thursday, June 5, 2014
10:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M.
Room 2225, 22nd Floor
250 Broadway
New York, NY
Participation by Invitation Only
Illicit opiate and heroin use has sharply increased recently throughout the country, including New York State. There are daily news reports of opiate overdoses, which often result in death. This scourge has especially affected young people throughout the state. These roundtables will examine the problem from a public health perspective and explore solutions including prevention, treatment options and possible legislation. The roundtables will include representatives of groups from across the state, including chemical dependence prevention and treatment providers, physicians, drug policy experts, and law enforcement.
Please see the reverse side for a list of subjects to which participants may direct their comments.
Persons invited to participate at the above roundtable should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation. In order to further publicize this roundtable, please inform interested parties and organizations of this upcoming roundtable discussion.
In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.
Steven Cymbrowitz
Member of Assembly
Chair
Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Richard N. Gottfried
Member of Assembly
Chair
Committee on Health
Joseph R. Lentol
Member of Assembly
Chair
Committee on Codes
Why has illicit opiate and heroin usage increased so dramatically in recent years?
What substance abuse treatment options are currently available to opiate and heroin abusers? What more can be done?
How can awareness be raised regarding chemical dependency and prevention?
Has the increased availability of opioid antagonists, such as naloxone, helped in preventing fatal opiate-related overdoses? How can the "911 Good Samaritan Act" (Chapter 154 of the Laws of 2011) be further utilized?
Who are the persons most impacted by illicit opiate and heroin abuse? Is usage widespread, or concentrated or most common in certain communities?
What can health care professionals, especially those with prescribing authority, do to help curb opiate abuse and addiction?
What is the role of law enforcement, including police and district attorneys, in combatting opiate and heroin abuse?
What more needs to be done to raise the awareness of the general public about the opioid and heroin abuse crisis?