Photo credit: Matt Meduri
The ongoing fentanyl epidemic has elicited responses from nearly all levels of government, many of which have been unique and urgent in addressing the issue.
A press conference held last week urged Albany lawmakers to pass four laws that backers deem as “common sense” proposals to help mitigate the effects of the problem.
Chelsey’s Law would charge drug dealers if and when they sell a lethal dose of any controlled substance that ultimately ends up killing a user due to an overdose.
Another bill would designate xylazine, known as Tranq, as a controlled substance. The cattle sedative is frequently being used to cut other controlled substances, which has led to increased overdose rates since Tranq’s effects cannot be reversed by naloxone, or Narcan.
The third bill would allow prosecutors and judges to request and set bail on a defendant arrested for selling fentanyl. Currently, under New York’s bail reform laws, bail cannot be requested for dealers selling fentanyl, even if that sale resulted in one or more overdoses. The bill would allow for bail to be set on defendants charged with certain felony offenses involving the manufacture, sale, distribution, and/or possession with intent to sell synthetic opioids.
The final bill would grant Victim Assistance Funds to the families of overdose victims. Funds would primarily be used for funeral and burial costs.
To further educate the public on these legislative endeavors, as well as to inform the layperson on the dangers of fentanyl, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) and his office held the inaugural “Fentanyl Summit” at the Brentwood campus of Suffolk Community College on Wednesday afternoon. The summit was joined by state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon (D) (pictured below).
First up were Gene and Sue Murray, the parents of the late Chelsey Muray, for whom Chelsey’s Law is named. They discussed breaking the stigma surrounding substance abuse, in that many are afraid or ashamed of requesting help, which often leads to permanent physical and psychological effects, homelessness, and even death.
The Suffolk County D.A. ‘s Narcotics Bureau held a presentation discussing their involvement in curbing the drug epidemic in Suffolk, followed by a seminar given by Sheriff Toulon, in which he discussed that no place is safe given the endemic nature of synthetic opioids.
Frank Tarentino, Special Agent in Charge with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), discussed the current drug trafficking routes from the southern border and just how reckless drug dens have become. He referenced a Bronx daycare in which dealers were hiding twelve kilograms of fentanyl under the floors on which play tiles were situated for the toddlers. The exposure killed one-year-old Nicholas Dominici and sent three other children to the hospital.
One of the highlights of the summit included a law enforcement panel, consisting of Sheriff Toulon, Special Agent Tarentino, Chief Assistant District Attorney Allen Bode, SCPD Deputy Commissioner Kevin Catalina, and Captain Kenneth Gene with the Bureau of Criminal Investigations of the New York State Police. The panel answered questions submitted by audience members. SCDA Associate Counsel Brooke Salvatore moderated the panel (pictured below).
The panel first answered the question: “If my child overdoses and I contact the police, will my child get in trouble or will they be arrested?”
“The answer is absolutely no,” said Deputy Commissioner Catalina. “We’re not looking to arrest anybody in a situation like that. We’re looking to get them help and get them what they need, whether that’s medical attention or long-term help. We’re looking to go after the villains. So please don’t ever be afraid to call the police.”
The next question asked the panel how hard drugs are disposed and where they are disposed.
Catalina said that any drugs obtained on a call will be held until it can be determined if they are needed in an investigation.
“We’re going to hold them in a secure facility until a date when we can dispose of them in a safe manner,” said Catalina. “This is an operation that we conduct in conjunction with a variety of agencies. Those drugs are not re-entering society. The DA has to agree when they are eventually destroyed because we have to make sure they’re not useful in case.”
Sheriff Toulon reminded the audience that the Suffolk County Sheriff’s office conducts a “shed the meds” program for prescription medication.
“We will take those drugs and we will properly dispose of them if there are prescription drugs in your home,” said Toulon.
“The Troop L Police Barracks in Farmingdale has a bin that you can use to dispose of any drugs as well,” said Salvatore.
Captain Gene added that the drop-offs are anonymous and that the department works carefully to ensure none of the disposed drugs result in a contaminated water system.
In response to a question of outreach to children, the panel referenced the national “One Pill Can Kill” campaign. Schools across the country have been using information from the DEA to teach the dangers of fentanyl-laced pills that can prove fatal. The campaign targets teenagers who might be convinced to try just one pill of a drug that they might think is Xanax or Adderall, but is actually laced with fatal substances. It can be found online at dea.gov/onepill.
Allen Bode discussed the progress on the four aforementioned bills as they continue to lobby Albany for the changes. He said he and Tierney were recently in Albany for a meeting brokered by Assemblyman Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills) to urge State lawmakers to pass Chelsey’s Law before the legislative session ends in the first week of June.
“Albany is very unified [on the bills]. We are bipartisan and united on Long Island,” said Bode. “The session ends next week. We’re hopeful. We had a meeting with the Chair of the Codes Committee, he said he was supportive.”
However, Bode cautioned that “there is no realm in which we’re getting all four of these bills passed this session.” Nevertheless, he said that the D.A.’s office is “prepared for a long fight” and to “keep going and push forward” on all of the bills. The session in Albany might end next week, but the crisis will continue year after year. We’re prepared to fight with you and we appreciate your help out there.”
One question was geared towards Gene, Toulon, and Catalina: “What steps are being taken by your agencies to keep your guys out on the street safe?”
Captain Gene said that a trooper who responded to a car accident on the Northern State Parkway was exposed to fentanyl powder when trying to render first aid to the driver. The driver, likely impaired by the drug, collided with the center divider, causing the powder to dissipate into the air.
“Each officer or trooper carries Narcan. Just a couple milligrams can be administered to an individual suffering a fentanyl overdose, hopefully within immediate response,” said Gene. “We also educate our troopers on proper personal protective equipment (PPE) that they have to carry and how to utilize it for any type of response. A car accident is the last place you would expect to be exposed to fentanyl, but you never know. Education is a big component.”
Sheriff Toulon said that outside mail the department receives is handled with gloves and is scanned by special technology. Toulon also said that they have scanners that can also detect drugs that might be concealed or ingested by a suspect.
“We have trained our emergency service staff in the use of Narcan. Some of them were able to prevent fatalities in our jails when they arrived on the scene,” said Toulon.
Sheriff Toulon also said that in addition to corresponding with jails across the continental United States, his office is able to exchange information with jails in Australia, the United Kingdom, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Puerto Rico.
“We’re learning more and more about what people are doing to try and smuggle contraband inside our facilities. So, outside of the six departments within the continental United States, we have those international departments that we’re working with to see what we can do better to keep our staff safe,” said Toulon.
The backs of the programs issued at the summit have a simple image of an eight-ounce cup. The cup’s rim is printed with the word “FENTANYL.” The words on the cup say “8 oz. = 113,410 deaths.”
