"With thousands of New Yorkers dying each year, it’s not enough to be aware of overdoses, we need to do all we can to prevent them.
"Overdose Prevention Centers save lives. Each intervention is another life saved, another chance for someone in dire need. Governor Hochul now has a chance and obligation to provide the authorization and funding needed to protect and expand the work being done. Every day of delay, more people are dying, and it's unconscionable to wait any longer to do what’s right and what works. The 'war on drugs' approach to prevention has been an ineffective injustice.
"Misconceptions and mischaracterizations about the role, impact, and operation of overdose prevention centers are pervasive. If everyone could witness the harm reduction model in action, the level of care, humanity, community, and lifesaving results that emanate from these centers, they would join me in saying that we need more hours, more centers, and more funding to support their efforts to intervene in preventable tragedies."