Murphy Outlines Steps Taken in Fight to Curtail Drug Abuse
State Sen. Terrence Murphy (R-Yorktown) outlined some of the efforts the state legislature has undertaken this year to fight against the plague of illegal drugs last Tuesday night before the Mount Kisco Village Board.
Murphy, co-chairman of the Senate’s Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Abuse, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this month that more than 47,000 Americans died in 2014 from drug overdoses. That represented a 14 percent increase over 2013.
Fighting heroin use has been one of Murphy’s priorities
“We need to do more,” he said.
Many youngsters are initially addicted through the “over prescription” of painkillers such as Oxycontin, Murphy said. For example, a 16-year-old who has a tooth extraction could be prescribed up to 90 Oxycontin pills, he said.
A key legislative victory this year was expanding drug treatment options for addicts by providing more opportunities to qualify for drug court. Drug court can provide medical treatment for addiction as an alternative to prison sentences.
Mayor Michael Cindrich said the village began a program to offer alternatives to jail time for substances abusers 26 years ago. The efforts of the village justices and resident Mel Berger, head of Mount Kisco’s Drug Council, have made the program a success, he said.
Other municipalities in the state could use Mount Kisco as a model for their own drug courts, Cindrich added.
Murphy touted his initiative to obtain a $250,000 state grant to provide Narcan, a medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, to school nurses.
“That’s something I’m especially proud of,” he said.
Murphy also addressed other topics at the meeting. He urged for more business friendly policies, including eliminating unnecessary regulation, to encourage greater commercial investment.
Commercial development was a priority when he served on the Yorktown Town Board, Murphy said. The town was successful in attracting new businesses and a major renovation of the Jefferson Valley Mall.
Working on behalf of veterans has been another priority for Murphy. A major piece of legislation signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared the Vietnam Veterans of America as a benevolent organization. The group’s new status enables it to provide the same benefits and honoraria that other veterans groups have offered such as the storage of records, flags and memorabilia for display in the state capitol in Albany, he said.
In his first year as senator, Murphy said he strives to keep open lines of communication with his constituents.
“I can’t help you if I don’t know what you want,” he said.
