MONTICELLO – Twenty percent of all deaths in Sullivan County last month were as a result of opioid overdoses, “a frightening and tragic statistic,” US Senator Charles Schumer said Monday while in Monticello.
And he called for a federal designation and additional funding from Washington to fight the scourge.
“We need the monies because the problems with mental health and the problems with opioid addiction have skyrocketed since COVID, but they are going to stay with us. COVID may go away, but the problems are still going to be here,” he said. “So, to give money to places like Catholic Charities is good.”
Schumer called on the federal government to designate Sullivan County as a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking area to provide additional resources and intelligence to fight the drug problem.
He also said he would push for an additional $3.2 billion for drug control agencies nationwide to continue the battle against opioid abuse.
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