RyeCity REVIEW THE
February 25, 2022 | Vol. 10, Number 8 | www.ryecityreview.com
County launches opioid response, overdose prevention initiative
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Daniel Roberts, right, and Jack Stevens celebrate Rye’s 69-67 win over Ardsley on Feb. 18. The Garnets came from behind to win the Class A out-bracket matchup. For story, see page 16. Photo/Mike Smith
County lawmakers confront utilties about energy prices With surging energy costs walloping ratepayers this winter, Westchester County legislators met with local utilities to seek answers and find solutions for local residents and businesses. On Tuesday, Feb. 15, the Board of Legislators’ Committee on Energy, Environment and Climate grilled representatives of Con Edison and New York State Electric and Gas about their customer service response to spiking natural gas prices that have left many ratepayers gasping at unexpectedly large bills. County Legislator Erika Pierce, chair of the committee, said, “We all have heard heart-wrenching stories from people in our districts— seniors on fixed budgets, young families or lower income families
for whom every penny counts, and more. Some of the worst impacted were those on auto pay, who have found their bank accounts overdrawn and their food money for the month gone. Westchester residents are no strangers to seasonal increases in electric and gas bills, but the bills this year are unlike anything seen previously.” Board Vice Chair Nancy Barr, who is also vice chair of the committee, added, “When there’s something important to communicate such as looming price increases and alternate payment plans, utilities need to do more to get their customers’ attention. Inserts in a bill, which are used for more mundane communications, or might not at all reach people using paperless billing, will not do the job. This in-
formation needs to be blasted out to people if you really want to get their attention, in paid television and radio announcements, for example.” Joining at the committee table were legislators MaryJane Shimsky, Catherine Parker and Jewel Williams Johnson. The committee spent 90 minutes peppering utility representatives about failures in customer outreach in anticipation of a natural gas price spike and difficulties customers are having reaching customer service representatives. Committee members also suggested a range of follow up items for the utilities to consider including: • I dentifying individuals to act as customer service contacts for our residents in distress. •R evisions to their auto pay
process. • Considering delaying rollouts of any rate increases during this period. The committee also pledged to reach out to the New York State Public Service Commission in the coming weeks on these matters. At the meeting, utility representatives committed to allowing customers to spread out the payments for their unexpectedly large bills over several months. On hand from Con Ed was a group led by Jane Solnick, director of regional and community affairs for Westchester. Representing NYSEG was a group led by Dylan Miyoshi, program manager—government and community relations for the company’s Brewster division. (Submitted)
In response to a rise in overdose deaths in Westchester County during the COVID-19 pandemic, the county departments of Community Mental Health, Health, Social Services, Public Safety, the Medical Examiner’s Office and the County Executive’s Office have partnered with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, and local and federal law enforcement to launch the Opioid Response and Overdose Prevention Initiative, ORI. The ORI brings together key stakeholders from across Westchester County who work collaboratively to prevent overdose deaths, and save lives. ORI partners meet regularly to address the following: • Collaborate on public health and law enforcement data sharing. • Identify which communities are most in need of overdose support services. • Execute more effective education, training and distribution of Naloxone or “Narcan,” a vital tool for preventing fatalities in people at a high risk for drug overdoses. • Conduct more thorough data collection, analysis and transparency relating to overdoses. • Increase community education, outreach and support services to populations in need. • Increase access to addiction, mental health and co-occurring treatment, harm reduction and family support services, including substance use prevention services. • Find and implement evidence-based treatment approaches for individuals with addiction who are also struggling with co-occurring mental health needs. “Preventing and combatting overdoses is a top priority for me that requires action from those in government and community partners,” Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah said. “This initiative will allow us to more effectively collaborate, to create meaningful solutions that address all components of this crisis, and to develop enforcement strategies that target emerging threat areas and individuals, including medical professionals, who perpetuate the opioid
crisis by supplying those suffering from substance use disorders, including minors, with harmful substances.” According to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses in the U.S. during the 12-month period ending in April 2021, accounting for the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a single year. Seventy-five percent of those overdose deaths were opioid-related, primarily involving fentanyl. Westchester County also experienced an increase in overdoses at the local level, recording 119 overdose deaths in 2020, an increase of 28 over the previous year. In addition, there have been many nonfatal overdoses in the county, which can cause serious physical and emotional impact on the individual and their loved ones. The efforts of the ORI have already led to positive results. Westchester County has increased naloxone education, and equipped local law enforcement departments, emergency medical services and the general community with the potentially life-saving drug. Medication Assisted Treatment has also expanded to facilitate increased access to substance use disorder treatment. The entities participating in the ORI have the data sharing abilities to identify which communities are most in need of overdose support, and assist them with the services they need. “Substance use disorder is a complex and often multifaceted disease that requires an all hands on deck approach to address,” said county Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler. “The ORI brings together individuals across disciplines to provide their unique expertise around prevention, response and treatment. Collaboration between public health and mental health professionals, law enforcement, first responders, the medical community and people who use drugs, gives us the ability to transform the way we understand the problem, as well as how we prevent and treat it.” (Submitted)