Yorktown Task Force Against Heroin Tackles Drug Epidemic
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 43,982 unintentional drug overdose deaths in 2013, more than half of which involved prescription medication.
It’s a growing trend that started in 1996, according to Dr. Andrew Kolodny, head of medicine for Phoenix House in Shrub Oak, when doctors and dentists began prescribing pain killers more aggressively.
“The epidemic today has been caused by doctors,” Kolodny claimed during a forum last week organized by the Yorktown Citizens Task Force Against Heroin at the Elks Lodge. “Why is there suddenly a heroin problem in Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess and Rockland? It’s not about people behaving badly. Opioid addiction is what’s killing people.”
On May 29, 2012, Steven and Sue Salomone lost their son, Justin, to a drug overdose at the age of 29. Eleven days later, Erik Christiansen, an undercover police detective, succumbed to drugs after developing a dependency to painkillers.
“Erik lost his dreams because of drugs and prescription pills,” Erik’s mother, Carol, said. “If this young man can overdose on heroin, anybody can.”
The Salomone and Christiansen families founded Drug Crisis In Our Backyard, a nonprofit community action organization, after learning of the large number of local families dealing with loved ones with drug problems.
“I miss him every day,” said Sue Salomone, who noted she carries her son’s mass card. “Why Justin? We learned it’s a disease. He was a good kid. Those who are addicted have a broken wing.”
Ryan B., a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, told the about 40 people in attendance he began experimenting with prescription pills in pharmacy school. He was arrested a dozen times and hit rock bottom before deciding in 2010 it was time to make a drastic change in his life.
“Addiction had me and there was no way out. I needed life to go away. I had lost my spirit,” he said. “I had a beautiful life. I had a fiancé. I traded it all for addiction.”
Ryan noted he has been sober for more than four years, has a two-year-old child and is executive vice president of a small pharmaceutical company.
Kolodny stressed a three-prong approach was needed to control the epidemic: prevent new cases of opioid addiction; treatment for addicts; and reduce over-prescribing and black market availability of medication.
Yorktown Councilman Tom Diana, a retired police officer who chairs the Task Force, said the community must come to grips with the fact the drug epidemic exists locally.
“Heroin use is not a trend. This is not going away folks,” Diana said. “We are in the eye of the storm. Tonight we continue the pursuit of the solution. Lives literally depend on this. If we save one kid we did our job. I don’t want to save just one kid.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
