The Opioid Epidemic’s Deadly Grip On The Bronx
Perhaps nowhere in New York City has the trajectory of opioid addiction been as complex as in the Bronx, which lost more residents to drug overdoses last year than any other New York City borough.
The New York Times:
The Bronx’s Quiet, Brutal War With Opioids
The bodies turn up in public restrooms, in parks and under bridges, skin tone ashen or shades of blue. The deceased can go undiscovered, sometimes for hours, or days if they were alone when they injected heroin and overdosed. Terrell Jones, a longtime resident of the Bronx, was pointing to the locations where overdoses occurred as he drove through the East Tremont neighborhood, the car passing small convenience stores, rowhouses and schools. (DelReal, 10/12)
CQ:
Lawmakers Urge More Action On Opioids
More than 50 lawmakers testified Wednesday at a House committee hearing on the nation’s opioid epidemic, describing how the crisis has devastated their communities and proposing solutions. While many applauded bipartisan legislation passed last year that included hundreds of millions of dollars targeting opioid abuse, they emphasized that more needs to be done. More than 90 Americans die from opioid overdoses each day, said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore. (Williams, 10/11)
