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Staten Island is in the middle of a full blown drug crisis. From prescription drugs to heroin, the borough has become engulfed in the epidemic, which claims young lives every week.
On this page, you will find resources for parents, friends and substance use victims, with helpful information for getting help and how to support those who need help. In addition, you will find links to media reports on the epidemic and facts on it. The Borough President’s Office is committed to talking about – and creating solutions – for this problem. There is no room – and, frankly, no time – to waste on stigma. Families from all over the Island – rich and poor – are being tragically impacted by this crisis. In addition to the support here on this site, the BP’s Office is partnering with local substance abuse experts like the YMCA, Camelot and the Staten Island Mental Health Society to connect people who need help with the professionals who can administer that help. In addition, we are proud partners with the District Attorney’s Office, OASAS, the NYPD, Archdiocese, and the DOE to educate and prevent the epidemic from growing. Borough Hall is also part of the Tackling Youth Substance Abuse (TYSA) Coalition which uses collective impact to bring together leaders from various sectors to address issues around substance abuse. RESOURCES
A MULTI-FACETED APPROACH TO SUBSTANCE ABUSEThe Borough President’s Office has been instrumental on the mental health/substance use front by putting prevention programs in place in schools, making connections among our partners for increased access to care and so much more. BP Oddo believes in a three-pronged approach to the drug crisis: Prevention; Intervention; and Treatment & Recovery.
With the success of our Too Good For Drugs program, we have added Teen Intervene, an early intervention program to several high schools – Curtis, Port Richmond HS, Tottenville and Concord – which is part of a statewide pilot project with OASAS. We are proud to partner with the SIPCW, YMCA, UAU and OASAS on this program which is being very well received in schools. The Parents You Matter program also teaches parents and teachers to recognize the signs of drug use and how to step in. In addition, the office has been instrumental in filling the gaps in accessibility to services for the addicted. Thanks to the intervention of Dr. Mantello, Richmond University Medical Center is now an Opioid Overdose Prevention Program and can train users and their families on how to properly administer Naloxone. In addition, peer programs are now in place in local emergency rooms to match overdose victims with a peer to lead them to a treatment center instead of simply discharging them. In addition, the District Attorney, in partnership with Borough Hall and others, has recently rolled out the heroin Overdose Prevention & Education (HOPE) program, which redirects low level drug offenders to community based health services instead of the justice system. Also coming is a diversion program that redirects 911 callers who are not having a medical emergency to a crisis center, facilitating a connection to treatment. Too Good For Drugs
Piloted in 2015 in five Staten Island elementary schools, The Too Good for Drugs program paired NYPD officers - under the leadership of Chief Ed Delatorre - and teachers with fifth grade students. The students practiced peer pressure refusal skills and explored positive and negative norms through interactive games, role-plays, and skits. These extraordinary fifth graders learned how to set reachable goals and achieve them and demonstrate effective communication skills. The program had such a positive impact that at the behest of Borough President Oddo, Mayor de Blasio has agreed to fund the rolling out of the program to 47 local schools. MEDIA COVERAGE
PIX11 - HEROIN EPIDEMIC
Heroin deaths on Staten Island are staggering. The media and local substance abuse experts are calling for action to protect families as the prescription drug abuse epidemic continues to claim lives. STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE - DRUG CRISIS SERIES The drug crisis on Staten Island has claimed hundreds of lives. For many, the pain is too much to cope with. But for some brave families, sharing their stories is not only therapeutic, but will hopefully positive impact another family struggling with addiction. The Staten Island Advance has done an incredible job of profiling families who have lost young people to the heroin epidemic. Here, you will see excerpts of their stories. Please read them, go to SILive.com and get more information, remember what you read. Remember it because you may need to recall their experience in order to save a life one day.
'You never get over it,' says heartbroken mom at addiction candlelight vigil From the story: "The vigil brought out over 100 family members, friends, local politicians, community members and people in recovery -- some holding photos of loved ones or wearing remembrance shirts -- who shared stories of those who passed or of their own struggle." (Photo courtesy of the Staten Island Advance/SILive) 
'I told him to come home' -- How a mom lost her son at infamous house party From the story: ""Mom, I'm not doing this anymore," Esebia Perez recalls her son, Antonio Fuentes, speaking those words as he vowed to beat his drug addiction during what would be their final conversation. He called me that Saturday saying he was done using. I told him to come home. But the 34-year-old didn't." (Photo courtesy of the Staten Island Advance/SILive) |
HELPLINES
District Attorney Michael E. McMahon Drug Hotline 718-876-5839 Click for more info. NYS Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) HOPELINE 1-877-8-HOPENY NYC LIFENET 1-800 LIFENET (1-800-543-3638) Partnership @ Drugfree Parent Line 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373) Narcotics Anonymous 212-929-6262 na-si.org 12-Step Program 40 meetings per week on S.I. Questions about Prescription Drug
and Alcohol Abuse? 
Click here
to browse TYSA's Local Resources |
A decade of death: The borough's relentless drug crisis (commentary)
From the story: "Hundreds have died and thousands have been left heartbroken and guilt-ridden. “I knew there something wrong.” “Why didn’t they ask for help?”
“I should have done something before it was too late.” About 10 years ago, the Advance began to notice an increasing number of of obituaries for young people with no cause of death listed. Many of them simply said “died at home.” Initiated by research that showed Staten Island was being flooded with opioid prescriptions, we spent months researching the deaths through the New York State Medical Examiner’s office.
From the story: "Hundreds have died and thousands have been left heartbroken and guilt-ridden. “I knew there something wrong.” “Why didn’t they ask for help?”
“I should have done something before it was too late.” About 10 years ago, the Advance began to notice an increasing number of of obituaries for young people with no cause of death listed. Many of them simply said “died at home.” Initiated by research that showed Staten Island was being flooded with opioid prescriptions, we spent months researching the deaths through the New York State Medical Examiner’s office.
