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disproportionately impact communities of color.
“In keeping with your commitment to racial justice within our state, we urge you to conditionally veto A2426 and require that the Legislature perform the mandatory racial and ethnic impact statement before considering signing this bill,” the letter reads.
The letter also points out disparities that may worsen if A2426 becomes law. Black people in the Garden State are three times more likely to have the police use force against them compared to white people. Black people are also disproportionate-
ly detained in county jails, accounting for 42% of all jailed individuals. Even though Black people are only 15% of the population, Black people account for 61% of individuals in Department of Corrections custody. Black adults are also 12 times more likely to be incarcerated than white adults—the highest dispar32 • May 26, 2022 - June 1, 2022 ity rate in the nation.
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
society that often abandons and fails them.
“We are the voice of people who use drugs,” said Asia Betancourt, one of the union’s long-time leaders. “There has to be someone to speak up because so many people stay ‘safe’—stay hush-hush about it and we do advocate around people who use drugs.”
Betancourt began injecting at the age of 13. During her time in the criminal justice system, she quit cold turkey and today serves as the executive director of Never Use Alone, a national overdose pre-
Prevention vention hotline. But not every user is ready to quit, Continued from page 4 and the union is there for them regardless. A New Yorker dies from an overdose every three hours according to OnPoint NYC, the nonprofit operating the city’s overdose prevention centers. Yet there’s pushback for such programs due to public safety concerns of existing residents. User Union member Armando Ortiz thinks these sites benefit the local communities around them. “I was one of those people that you would walk around and feel unsafe from—you would see me sitting in a corner and doing drugs, and you would bump into my garbage in the streets,” said Ortiz. “Because of the OPC, I am not one of them any longer…I think that’s a very, very much a win-win situation, because I’m sure nobody wants to walk with a kid and see needles and people in the streets injecting or ODing.” On the city-level, Mayor Eric Adams recently delineated plans for a $150 million opioid settlement fund that includes upkeeping existing needle exchanges for the two overdose prevention centers. On the state-level, the User’s Union is confident in support from Hochul, who lost her nephew Michael to an opioid overdose in 2017. But for now, they’re still waiting. “I don’t know what’s taking her so long to lift that pen up,” said Betancourt. “But I do believe that once she does that, there’s going [to be change.]” Drug users can call Never Use Alone for support at 800-484-3731.
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Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a taxdeductible gift today by visiting: https://tinyurl. com/fcszwj8w
