Sen. Murphy Gains Grant For Putnam Anti-Drug Group

MAHOPAC, N.Y. -- Steve and Susan Salomone have a story that parents across the Hudson Valley have come to relate to -- their son Justin died of a heroin overdose in 2012.

State Sen. Terrence Murphy recently announced a $25,000 state grant in an effort to combat opioid and heroin abuse.
Photo Credit: *Provided*

Robert Berczuk

08/04/2015 4:30 a.m.

As a result of his death, the Salomones, of Mahopac, helped found the advocacy group Drug Crisis in Our Backyard. At a press conference last week, state Sen. Terrence Murphy, who serves as the co-chairman of the Senate's Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Abuse, announced a $25,000 state grant in an effort to expand the program's reach throughout the community.

"I have been proud to partner with the families involved in Drug Crisis in Our Backyard since they founded their organization," Murphy said in a press release. "They have turned their tragedies into a mission and have done a phenomenal job shedding light on the heroin and opioid epidemic that has now been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a national concern."

Recent reports have shown heroin overdose deaths in the country increased by 286 percent between 2002 and 2013. Moreover, the CDC identified a direct correlation between prescription opioid use and heroin. In fact, people who are addicted to pain medication such as Vicodin and OxyContin are 40 times more likely to be addicted to heroin because the chemicals are essentially the same, according to the report.

"Statistics are showing us that young people are not starting with heroin," said Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell in a press release. "They are getting hooked on prescribed pain killers or are taking pills out of their home medicine cabinets and moving onto heroin. Events such as today's Prescription Drug Drop-Off Program help keep pills off the streets and away from youth."

"Sen. Murphy has been an incredible advocate and ally in our mission to raise awareness and provide education to families and individuals struggling with addiction," said Steve Salomone in a press release. "This grant will aid us in expanding our program to offer additional services to families in need, and more importantly, increase our ability to educate members of our community about the devastating destruction opioid and heroin abuse can have."

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