OASAS Commissioner in Owego Tuesday

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New York State’s Commissioner of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse was in Owego yesterday to talk about state efforts to combat addiction, especially with heroin and other opioid drugs. Commissioner Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez says they have been busy attacking the problem with a multi-pronged approach.

“It’s not only treatment, it’s not only recovery, it’s not only prevention, it’s also legislation,” she told a nearly full crowd at the Tioga County Office Building.

The commissioner also announced that Tioga County will receive part of a $2 million grant that they will use to begin providing services to inmates who are dealing with addiction issues at the county jail. It will include a shot of the anti-addiction drug Vivitrol once they are released to help until they can begin treatment outside of the jail. Yesterday’s roundtable was also a chance for the commissioner to hear from local organizations about their needs to fight the epidemic. Many of them asked for access to more resources and services as well as a centralized data collection system.

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