Overdose deaths involving opioids have killed more than half a million people over the past two decades. This public health crisis has been exacerbated  during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some counties like Albany reporting an increase of 60% in drug-related overdose deaths. 

The dollars from the opioid litigation are not a gift to the states. They are the representation of the devastation caused by the opioid companies. These dollars signify the millions of New Yorkers we have lost to addiction: our children, our sisters and brothers, our friends, and our families.  

We strongly urge the Governor to sign A6395/S7194 into law, to protect these dollars by establishing a dedicated fund and ensuring money is not diverted away for other uses unrelated to the addiction crisis. 

We appreciate your ongoing work to reduce the number of deaths due to substance use in New York. The additional financial resources available to jurisdictions will be a major step forward in this effort. We look forward to working with you and would be happy to discuss our thoughts in more detail. 
 
Coalition of groups includes: 
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State (ASAP), Association for Community Living, Inc., Bronx Council on Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders, Coalition for Behavioral Health, Coalition of Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers and Advocates (COMPA-NY), Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities, Inc., Families Together in NYS, Friends of Recovery- New York, HEAL Chapters of Onondaga, Madison, and Onondaga Counties, Helio Health, Horizon Health, Legal Action Center, Mental Health Association of New York State, NYS Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health, New York State Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Save the Michaels, Shatterproof, Treatment Community of America- New York (TCANY), Truth Pharm (Binghamton), Outreach New York