A bipartisan task force in Staten Island is urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a public health emergency to address the opioid crisis in New York.
The task force issued a report with recommendations including stiffening penalties for drug peddlers, tightening bail laws, and increasing funding for harm reduction, education, and addiction prevention.
The report compares the opioid crisis to the challenge of the Marshall Plan and highlights the increasing presence of fentanyl in overdose deaths.