30 Minute Program to Air in All Markets of New York State

 Details Personal Stories of New Yorkers Impacted by Addiction and the Work of OASAS to Bring Services to All Regions of the State 

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (NYS OASAS) is airing a special program throughout the month of March across New York State, which offers the public a look at the agency’s actions to address the opioid and overdose crisis. “Addiction: The Next Step, Opioid Settlements at Work” contains interviews with New Yorkers who have personally been affected by addiction, and a look at how New York State is using the hundreds of millions of dollars received in opioids settlement funding, including an interview with OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham. 

“The impact of the opioid and overdose crisis has been felt among individuals, families, and communities across New York State,” OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said. “We have made substantial strides in getting settlement money out to the door, and this is making a difference throughout the state. This program gives us a chance to highlight some of these accomplishments and also tells the personal stories of New Yorkers, allowing others know that they are not alone in feeling the effects of this crisis.” 

The program features several segments, including:

• The story of Kamal Bherwani, a Long Island man who lost his son to an overdose;
• A feature on Victor Nelson, a Poughkeepsie teen who learned how to use naloxone and used it to save a man who was overdosing;
• A selection of stories from the OSF @ Work series that highlight the difference funding is making for programs in New York City, Syracuse, Poughkeepsie, and Rochester;
• An interview with OASAS Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham further explaining how the state is using the settlement funding, and the programs and initiatives we are supporting;
• An interview with Victoria Treadwell, a former Miss New York who shares her story of recovery in an effort to reduce the stigma of addiction.

This special program airs throughout the month of March in all markets of New York State. For more information, including a list of airtimes by market, visit the OASAS website.

New York State is receiving more than $3 billion through various settlement agreements with opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies that were secured by Attorney General Letitia James. A portion of the funding from these settlements will go directly to municipalities, with the remainder deposited into a dedicated fund to support prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery efforts to address the ongoing opioid epidemic.

To date, New York has made more than $454 million available through the opioid settlement fund, which is the most of any state in the country. A detailed list of initiatives funded with this money is available on the New York State Opioid Settlement Fund tracker.

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports oversees one of the nation’s largest systems of addiction services with approximately 1,700 prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery programs serving over 731,000 individuals per year. This includes the direct operation of 12 Addiction Treatment Centers where our doctors, nurses, and clinical staff provide inpatient and residential services to approximately 8,000 individuals per year.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).

Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, residential, or outpatient care can be found on the NYS OASAS website.