Alarming Increase in Drug Overdoses
Over the last few decades, there has been an alarming increase in drug overdoses in New York City. It is even more shocking that the surge in drug misuse and overdose, particularly heroin overdose, has been more widespread in New York's suburbs than urban neighborhoods. These overdoses have the unintended consequence of increasing the number of deaths. To prevent more fatalities, New York City must pass appropriate legislation to minimize the number of drug addicts in the city. The State Senate Majority Coalition has formed various work committees to tackle the heroin overdose epidemic. While these legislations have been aimed at reducing the limits of addictive drugs such as heroin, the legislations have not been necessarily effective as the rise of heroin overdose has continued to surge. Nongovernmental organizations, different interest groups, and media have also advocated for several measures to reduce drug addiction in New York. All of these efforts, however, have not been effective enough to help curb the problem of deaths due to the drug overdose in the state.
Legislative Options to Solve the Problem
To solve the problem, a number of legislative options has been suggested. First, it is suggested that legislations should allow access to naloxone which acts as an antidote thereby reducing mortality from drug overuse. Second, it is suggested and recorded that extensive education and awareness programs should be undertaken to help create awareness about the dangers associated with the overdose of heroin. Finally, it is suggested and recommended that PDMPs should be developed in the city. When these efforts will be in place, it is expected that the number of mortalities from heroin overdose will significantly reduce.
