Pressure Increases on New York Governor to Declare Public Health Emergency amid Opioid Crisis
As New York experiences record-breaking numbers of overdose deaths, there is growing pressure on Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a public health emergency. Despite the severity of the crisis, the governor has been hesitant to take this step, causing confusion and frustration among addiction and public health professionals.
While other states have declared states of emergency to combat the opioid crisis and the federal government did so in 2017, New York has yet to take advantage of the additional powers that would come with such a declaration. The latest provisional data estimates that there will be 6,900 drug overdose deaths in New York from July 2022 to July 2023, indicating a significant increase from previous years.
Addiction and public health professionals believe that declaring a public health emergency would give Governor Hochul the authority to implement measures such as suspending staffing minimums at treatment facilities, waiving copays for addiction treatment, and establishing overdose prevention centers. However, there is confusion and frustration over why the governor has not taken these steps, and her office has not responded to questions on the matter.
Advocates and policy experts have called on the governor to declare the public health emergency and have expressed disappointment over her administration’s stony silence on the issue. They argue that the severity of the crisis demands immediate attention, especially given the significantly fewer deaths caused by other emergencies for which the state has declared public health emergencies.
Ultimately, there is a significant disconnect between the priorities of the executive branch and the urgent issues facing the state. As the opioid crisis continues to worsen, there is a growing sense of frustration and confusion over why Governor Hochul has not declared a public health emergency to address the crisis more effectively.
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