BUFFALO, N.Y. — Fatal drug overdoses have been a tragic curse on our community and this country for years but a recent surge has in part sparked a debate over how Erie County can best allocate resources to try to combat it.
That discussion emerged Thursday in an Erie County Legislature committee meeting.
Erie County saw 435 fatal drug overdoses last year and so far this year there have been over 100 more such cases with concerns about another potential spike. And now questions about the best approach to try to cut those numbers and save lives.
While the Erie County Health Department did transition its 500 member task force from the opioid epidemic to the overall drug overdose prevention title some of its public awareness strategies are now in focus for one member of the county legislature.
The Health Department Director Dr. Gale Burstein appeared with other substance abuse treatment providers to talk about their efforts before the legislature's Health and Human Services committee.
And that is when some expenditures, beyond just the availability of Narcan to revive people, were actually discussed.