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Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , January 24 , 2018

PUBLIC AGENDA

WEDNESDAY , JANUARY 24

Town of New Windsor Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 555 Union Ave ., New Windsor .

THURSDAY , FEBRUARY 1 Town of Newburgh Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 1496 Route 300 , Town of Newburgh .

WEDNESDAY , FEBRUARY 7

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THURSDAY , FEBRUARY 8

Newburgh City Council Work Session , 6 p . m . City Hall , 83 Broadway .

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The Mid Hudson Times ( USPS 000-5947 ) is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh , NY 12550 , with offices at 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , NY Single copy : $ 1 at newsstand . By mail in Orange , Ulster or Sullivan Counties : $ 40 annually , $ 44 out of county . Periodicals permit at Newburgh , NY POSTMASTER : Send address changes to Mid Hudson Times , 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , NY 12550 .

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State Assemblyman Frank Skartados at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center on Saturday . The forum brought together a panel of scientists and substance-abuse professionals , as well as family members who lost loved ones to opioid use . “ We are here to learn ,” Skartados said at the event Saturday .

“ All of my beliefs about drug use and abuse have been shaken ,” said Lauren Mandel , whose son Zane Mandel- Michalak died of an opioid overdose in September . “ The system I tried to access for my son failed .”

What the science says

Panelists at the forum agreed , the approach to dealing with the opioid crisis needs to change in the U . S . “ We have to understand why people use opioids ,” said Dr . Carl Hart , a neuroscientist and Department of Psychology chair at Columbia University .

“ Opioids are really good drugs to decrease anxiety . They produce euphoria . They decrease pain , emotional pain , psychological pain ... this provides a clue in terms of how we best help people .”

Opioids have been used for a long time , “ because they work ,” he said . “ Why the hysteria ?” he asked . “ The hysteria helps bring us in the room , so we understand ... But , we have to come in the room with some sense , with some logic , some cool headedness .”

“ When we hear numbers like , for example , 64,000 deaths , that ’ s not 64,000 deaths from opioids , that ’ s everything – anti depressants , acetaminophen , all those overdosing , drug-related deaths are in there .”

Hart was referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s reporting of approximately 64,000 drugoverdose deaths in the U . S . in 2016 , a 21-percent increase from the previous year . “ You separate the opioids and you get about 33,000 ( deaths ),” he said . “ Those are the latest CDC numbers that I have seen .”

Hart provided some other statistics for perspective : Approximately 15,000 to 16,000 Americans die from guns each year , he noted , referring to the latest information on gun deaths from the CDC . Each year in the U . S ., there are tens of thousands of deaths from automobile accidents , he said . “ Are we talking about banning automobiles in this country ?” Hart said . “ Of course not ... we ask people to wear seatbelts and we have speed limits .”

Lisa Bennett , whose son Jeffrey died of an opioid overdose a little over a year ago , said the region needs an opioid-crisis hotline .

In countries like Switzerland , where Hart worked for a time , there are treatment center and auxiliary services for opioid addicts including mental health and social services , he said . “ They ’ ve been doing that for more than 20 years in Switzerland and it works ,” Hart said , and most people in treatment are able to maintain their jobs and families

Education on how to safely use opioids is essential , he said . Most of the people who die from opioids have used opioids with other sedatives , Hart said . “ These other sedatives make it more risky ,

Opioid treatment services

Onward Recovery / Mid-Hudson Substance Use Recovery Community & Outreach Center Peer-to-peer advocacy and counseling drop-in center Location : 135 Grand Street , Newburgh , ( rear entrance ) Contact : 845-725-1244

Project Reach Out / Hudson Valley Community Services Substance abuse treatment referrals , counseling , mental health and social services referrals , education . Contact : 914-610-8872 or 914-610-5324 they increase the risk of respiratory depression ,” Hart said .

These sedatives include alcohol , antihistamines like Benadryl , and benzodiazepines such as Xanax or Valium . “ You tell people who are using opioids , don ’ t mix it with another sedative .”

Fentanyl

Another important fact is that fentanyl is more potent than heroin , Hart stated . “ A smaller amount of the drug is required to produce an effect ,” he said . “ If someone thinks they have heroin and they take fentanyl in the same amount , in the same dose as heroin , they can die from an overdose .”

When people buy drugs on the street , they often don ’ t know what the drug contains , Hart explained . “ They don ’ t know the adulterant and fentanyl might be there .”

To counter this , in some European countries , “ They have anonymous , discreet drug-checking services ,” he said . “ We have that ( technology ) in the United States , but they have not made it available .”

“ We must also separate people who are addicted from those who just use drugs ,” he added . “ The vast majority of people who use opioids are not addicts . They are simply using opioids . We don ’ t want to lump everyone into the same category . Our help should be tailored to fit their needs .”

“ We have the tools to help people with opioid addictions ,” said New York State Director of the Drug Policy Alliance Kassandra Frederique , “ including methadone , which cuts fatalities by 50 percent ,” she said .

Methadone gets a bad rap , she said , because some people see it as another drug and another way to get high . “ Why would you give someone you don ’ t want to be using drugs access to a syringe so they can use drugs ?” she asked . “ Doesn ’ t that condone it ?”

The reason , in a nutshell , is “ harm reduction ,” she said . “ Meeting people where they ’ re at and not leaving them there is not being soft ,” Frederique said . “ It ’ s being strong – strong enough to put your uncomfortableness aside to focus on the person in front of you .”

While Narcan , or naloxone , can bring a person back from an overdose , syringeexchange programs can prevent bloodborne illnesses , she said , and importantly offer support to people seeking help .

The criminalization of drug-abuse is

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