STATEN ISLAND — A new bill will offer up $103 million in grant funding for groups to offer drug addiction treatment, education and enforcement and Rep. Dan Donovan held a rally on Staten Island Monday to support the legislation.
Donovan joined Borough President James Oddo, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and Councilman Joe Borelli to call on the U.S. House to approve bill, which he said will help treat Staten Island's opioid epidemic.
"Pills and heroin are claiming a generation before our eyes, and it’s about time we got the resources to fight back," Donovan said in a statement. "Because of this legislation, new grant programs will fund increased treatment, education, and enforcement efforts."
Donovan said the bill will fund programs to help prevent opioid abuse by juveniles, expand existing treatment programs, establish and expand drug courts, equip more first responders with the anti-overdose medication naloxone and start and expand prescription drug monitoring programs.
"This crisis has exploded to affect families of every race, socioeconomic status, and neighborhood," Donovan said in a statement.
"We’re directing resources towards programs and policies that have been effective, and we’ll continue to evaluate what’s working and what’s not. Gradually, working together, we can beat back this scourge."
Staten Island is in the throes of a prescription drug and heroin epidemic and from 2000 to 2014 had the highest rate of accidental overdoses in the city, according to the Department of Health.
So far this year, Donovan said more people on Staten Island have died from ODs than car crashes and homicides combined.
The Senate previously passed its version of the bill and, if it passes in the House, they will resolve the differences in a conference then send it to the president for final approval.
