Drug addiction continues to tear families apart throughout our Hudson Valley. It is an indiscriminate killer ruining the lives of good people, and it must be fought at every angle.
As a former EMT, I know how to administer naloxone (Narcan) in an overdose, and I’ve seen first-hand the devastation of addiction.
As your Assemblyman, I worked tirelessly to prevent and treat addiction.
- Continued the Shed The Meds program to help safely dispose of over 3,500 pounds of expired or unused medications.
- Safely expanded access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) (Chap. 432, 2021)
- Supported legislation to increase the number of days for in-patient and out-patient substance use treatment services (A.902, 2021)
- Co-Sponsored legislation that would increase penalties on profit-making drug traffickers whose sales lead to the death of a person suffering from addiction (A.3902, 2020)
- Co-Sponsored and passed the “Drug Take Back Act” to keep drugs out of our medicine cabinets and out of our drinking water (Chap. 120, 2018)
- Co-Sponsored and passed legislation to create a new special opioid settlement fund to ensure dollars obtained from legal settlements are used to advance treatment and not simply plug existing and unrelated budget gaps in the state’s general fund. (Chap. 190, 2021).
As County Executive, I’ll continue this fight by
- Supporting educational efforts to remove the stigma and the fear of seeking help
- Support law enforcement and first responders with life-saving training
- Partner with our local drug treatment courts where possible to provide positive pathways to recovery
- Build relationships with our partners in the community as well as government, including law enforcement, to ensure they have the tools they need to combat addiction, reduce the misuse of drugs, and save lives
- Continue my advocacy to the state and federal government to strengthen laws against drug traffickers.
The federal government has already designated Putnam County a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. I’ll continue to do all I can to fight this scourge.