February 2024

• Kingstonwire reports that the new one mile stretch of paved pathway called Midtown Linear Park and nicknamed 'needle park' is receiving attention from city and county officials in an effort to address the congregation of addicts. Two narcan boxes and a box for used needles has been placed on the path in an effort to reduce overdose deaths.
• Behavioral health business reports that Acadia Healthcare, a service provider of many area rehabs, will be closing down traditional inpatient care in favor of more intensive outpatient care. Investors are largely positive about Arcadia's financial future.
• The Daily Freeman reports that opioid related deaths are down even though there was a rise in known overdoses. They also reported that according to the Department of Mental Health, there were 517 non fatal overdoses reported in 2023, up from 494 reported in 2023 with 'only' 52 fatal overdoses in 2023 compared to 71 deaths in 2022. Article published 2/3/24 by Patricia Doxsey.

December 2023

•  Associated Press reports that consulting Firm McKinsey and Co agrees to $78,000,000 settlement with insurers over opioids. "McKinsey worked with Purdue Pharma - the maker of Oxycontin - to creat and employ agressive marketing and sales tactics to overcome doctor's reservations about the highly addictive drugs." The article goes on to say that insurers said that these agressive tactics forecd them to pay for prescriptive opioids rather than safer and lower cost drugs, including over the counter painkillers. Insurers also argued that they also had to pay for the opioid addiction treatment that followed.
• The results of the autopsy are in  and show that Matthew Perry died from acute effects of the drug ketamine. Ketamine is considered to be effective against depression and PTSD. It is described as having a dissociative effect casing the  user to feel "separated" from their body. It is considered safe when used under a doctor's care. Nonetheless, ketamine has also been shown to have addictive qualities and is often purchase illegally for recreational purposea In addition to the ketamine in his system, the report also said the coronary artery disease and Buprenorphine also contributed to his death. The buprenorphine level was found to be a therapeutic level which is considered safe unless used with other certain medications. Matthew Perry had battled addiction for many years as he describes in his published book, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing; A Memoir."  Matthew Perry died October 28, 2023 at age 54.
• In Friday , December 8 edition of the Kingston Daily Freeman, Abe Uchitelle (D)- Kingston, said the budget takes significant strides to address some of the biggest issues like the opioid crisis.
• Supreme Court Justices are wrestling with a nationwide settlement with Oxycotin maker Purdue Pharma that would shield members of the Sackler family who owns the company from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids.

November 2023

• No, there is not a Suboxone Class Action Lawsuit for those who have suffered injuries and tooth decay. Rather, these lawsuits are pending consolidation into a multidistrict litigation (MDL).Multidistrict litigation is a special federal legal procedure designed to cut costs and increase efficiency in lawsuits involving similar cases. In any case, please be careful and take care of your teeth by regularly seeing your dentist.

• The Ulster County sheriff says that  $400,000 federal grant will help expand mental health and substance abuse response. As reported in the Kingston Daily Freeman November 22, 2023,29% of all overdoses in the county were "intentional." Sheriff Juan Figeroa said that a two year grant from the US Department of Justice will allow his office to expand services some of which are now provided by ORACLE, by creating Support and Advocacy through Frontline Engagement ( SAFE ), a new support and advocacy program. He says that there will be two embedded teams - ine for substance abuse and one for mental health and behavioral health. The program is under the leadership of Juanita Hotchkiss, Director of Community and Incarcerated programs at the sheriff's department and Lt Chad Storey who will hire a clinical social worker able to make referrals and assessments, and a mental health peer advocate. This will allow the County to connect with more crisis services that it can currently. Hotchkiss has said that her office has begun to track the nature of every overdose referral and that this gives them a statistic regarding the "intention" of the overdose. She says that 28% of the overdoses were from people..." with the intent to harm themselves." This conclusion was a result of either a note left behind or as was told to the responders.
• The Ulster County budget will continue the use of $2.,000,000 from the opioid settlement funding go for construction of a crisis stabilization center at the county's behavioral health center slated to open in 2024.

October 2023

• Running unoppose, futere County Legislature Jeff Collin would advocate for the creation of more medically assisted treatment facilities which he says has been found to be one of the most effective methods of addressing the opioid crisis.

September 2023

• A one year child died and three other children were poisoned by exposure to fentanyl in a NYS daycare facility.

May 2023

• Ulster County officials report that the county had recorded 26 opioid related deaths and 195 opioid use overdoses thus far in 2023.

2022

• Pat Ryan, then County Executive announced that Ulster County will receive a maximum of $7,895750 as part of a statewide settlement agreement between Ulster County, Johnson & Johnson, and other opioid companies.The settlement funds are to be used as part of the county's continued effort to combat the opioid crisis. Payments are to begin in February of 2022 and will continue toover the course of 18 years.

2021

• The Opioid Response As County Law Enforcement (ORACLE) expanded its services, launching a high-risk mitigation team that provides two peer-support staff and a social worker to respond to overdose reports.

2019

• The Opioid Response As County Law Enforcement (ORACLE) launched in 2019 as an initiative of sheriff Juan Figueroa, seeking to educate the community through Narcan training, outreach and connection to individuals who had had prior overdoses.