Modified: May 18, 2016 8:07am
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MEDIA RELEASE
From the Office of the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Gale R. Burstein
Date April 27, 2016
CONTACT: Mary C. St. Mary/Mary.StMary@Erie.Gov
Phone: 716.858.4941/ Mobile: 716.253.3925
Opiate Awareness/Memorial Walk This Saturday
At Buffalo State in Conjunction with DEA “Drug Drop-Off Day”
ERIE COUNTY, NY— This Saturday, April 30th at 10:00am, members of the Erie County Opiate Epidemic Task Force’s Family Work Group, along with the West Side Youth Development Coalition, will gather for an Opiate Awareness/Memorial Walk. This event, at Cleveland Hall on the SUNY Buffalo State campus (1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo) is free and open to the public.
Coinciding with the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (“DEA”) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, the Walk connects both individuals who have lost a loved one to an opiate addiction and those currently dealing with a loved one addicted to opiates and reminds them that they are not alone. In addition, the Walk seeks to serve as a reminder, in coinciding with “Drug Drop-Off Day”, that everyone in our community has a role to play in helping to end the opiate epidemic.
Erie County Commissioner of Health, Dr. Gale R. Burstein, Erie County Legislator Patrick Burke (D-Buffalo, Cheektowaga), and Dr. William Wieczorek, Director of the Institute for Community Health Promotion at SUNY Buffalo State, will offer brief remarks reflecting on the challenges dealing with addiction bring to family and friends of the person with the disease.
Following the remarks, attendees will walk approximately two miles to reflect on and remember their loved ones, as well as to share resources and experiences. The Walk will pass through the scenic grounds of the Buffalo Psychiatric Center and Richardson-Olmsted Complex, reminders of our region’s past challenges and victories in mental health care.
Prior to the walk, local support groups providing assistance to both those struggling with addiction and to their families will be available to share information.
From 10:00am – 2:00pm, Buffalo State’s Cleveland Circle will serve as a drop-off site for the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. In order to not interfere with the drug drop-off event, participants are asked to park in parking spaces on Rockwell Road, in lot R-2, off of Rockwell Road, or Lots I-32 or I-34, off Iroquois Drive. Please do not enter Cleveland Circle by vehicle unless you have prescription drugs for disposal. Buffalo State is also accessible by NFTA routes 3, 20, and 32.
To learn more about this event, contact:
Nathan Attard, Partnership for Success Grant Community Coordinator
SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue
Classroom Building A203, Buffalo, NY 14222-1095
716-878-6137
About the Erie County Opiate Epidemic Task Force Family Work Group
One of the seven work groups that make up the Task Force, the Family Work Group, chaired by Debra Smith of the Erie County Department of Probation, is comprised of family members and loved ones of those currently struggling with addiction, as well as those who have already lost a loved one to opiate addiction. The Family Work Group’s mission is to support and participate in advocacy efforts and to develop an integrated support network for family and friends dealing with the effects of addiction in a loved one.
About the West Side Youth Development Coalition
The West Side Youth Development Coalition (WSYDC) is a substance use prevention coalition targeting the West Side of Buffalo and operates from SUNY Buffalo State’s Institute for Community Health Promotion. The Coalition seeks to improve the health and well-being of youth living on the West Side of Buffalo. WSYDC is supported by the Drug Free Communities Program of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) and Office of National Drug Control Policy, a Partnership for Success Grant from the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and SUNY Buffalo State.
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