A statewide initiative to combat the rise of heroin use in St. Lawrence County and across New York, adding 100 investigators, has the approval of State Sen. Patty Ritchie.

Ritchie, a heuvelton Republican who represents the western half of St. Lawrence County including Ogdensburg, Canton and Gouverneur, said that “As a member of the Senate Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, I’ve heard from many individuals who are on the ground level about what can be done to stop the spread of heroin. Time and time again, one of the top suggestions has been educating individuals—especially young people—about the dangers the drug presents.”

The addition of 100 experienced investigators to the State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) nearly doubles the number of troopers in the unit.

The state is also making supplies of naloxone, an overdose antidote, available to all first responder units.

Another part of the initiative is a targeted awareness campaign that will take place on all public college and university campuses.

That awareness campaign includes:

· Making heroin and opioid awareness part of every incoming student orientation, as well as at other key moments in students’ college experience

· Training all resident assistants and other support staff who deal with students on a regular basis in the warning signs of possible prescription drug or heroin abuse, including recognizing the risk factors and signs of heroin and opioid abuse when they seem them and clearing up misconceptions about the signs and severity of heroin and opioid use and abuse

· Ensuring that all students who are seeking treatment for prescription drug or heroin abuse receive all necessary services, including a hotline and textline encouraging anonymous and no-fault reporting when someone needs help

· State police will assist all university police and community college law enforcement departments, such as those at SUNY Canton and Potsdam, on trafficking patterns, signs of prescription drug and heroin abuse, and best practices in handling those believed to be under the influence of either substance, and

· Training university police and health centers in how to administer naloxone and ensuring access to a supply for use by trained staff.

"Across our state and our nation, the spike in heroin use has meant the loss of life, increased crime and heartbreak amongst families and friends of those who use this deadly drug," said Ritchie. "Today, I applaud Governor Cuomo for his announcement of a statewide initiative to combat the rise of heroin use. This initiative—which includes stepping up law enforcement efforts and an awareness campaign taking place at public college and university campuses throughout the state—will greatly help to address the heroin epidemic."

Meanwhile Ritchie said other legisation could help St. Lawrence County’s recovering heroin abusers gain insurance coverage. Other legislation would likely send more local dealers to prison.

“What was once thought to only be a problem in inner cities, heroin is a drug that has pushed out across our state—being used everywhere from rural Northern New York to our Central New York suburbs and beyond,” said Ritchie.

Other bills included in the package would lower the threshold of proof necessary for convicting those accused of dealing heroin; establishes the crime of homicide by sale of an opioid controlled substance if it causes the death of another; and other measures stiffening penalties for other drug possession and sale.