Erie County Legislator Lynne Dixon announces that the Erie County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution at the June 9, 2016 session requesting New York State leaders approve anti-heroin legislation and address this epidemic.

“Locally Erie County is taking the opioid and heroin epidemic seriously and exploring practical ways to save lives and help residents. However, we can’t handle this issue alone. We need New York State to be a partner and to take action,” said Legislator Dixon.

The resolution reads, in part: “Action must be taken by the state to address the issue of opioid and heroin addiction to help protect the members of our community affected by this social issue. There have been a multitude of options to combat this epidemic proposed, including, limiting access to opiate based painkillers by restricting doctor’s ability to prescribe them or by requiring that health insurance providers cover rehab treatment options. The problem with opioid abuse and addiction is that it is a complex problem that will probably not be addressed with one catch all solution; however, doing nothing is not an option at this point.”

“The Legislature has sent a message to our state leaders stating that the time to address the opioid epidemic has already passed, we need them to act now,” said Legislator Dixon.

For information on ways that you can help Erie County in the battle against heroin, please visit www.erie.gov. Currently “Angel” volunteers are needed for the Rapid Evaluation Appropriate Placement (REAP) initiative, which is a revolutionary policing program aimed at getting addicts the help they need, instead of putting them in handcuffs. For more information, email angels@bpdny.org.

For additional information or to register, please contact Legislator Dixon at 858-8671 or e-mail lynne.dixon@erie.gov.