Families of Long Island opioid addicts gathered on Thursday to demand more action to resolve the epidemic plaguing their communities and the country.
The residents of Rocky Point came together to mourn the ones they’ve lost to opioid addiction and to discuss options to alleviate the drug crisis in the area.
Suffolk County currently has the most overdose deaths in New York State.
“My son actually overdosed two days ago,” a Rocky Point resident name Terry said at the gathering.
Tracey Farrell also lost her son to a heroin overdose, and her daughter is a recovering addict, as well. Farrell now serves as a drug counseling advocate.
“My kids used to put a 20-dollar bill in the mailbox and next thing you know, there would be pills in there,” Farrell said.
While New York officials say that mandated drug education programs have improved and more money has been allocated for treatment, Rocky Point residents are urging for more to be done.
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To start, the group has planned a community forum next week at Rocky Point Middle School to discuss the local impact of the epidemic.
On a larger scale, the group is calling for more town meetings and school programs to educate residents and raise drug awareness. They also hope more treatment facilities will be available for those seeking help.
“I don’t have the answers to why it is. I just wish I had the answer to end it,” Beth Brucoli, the girlfriend of an addict, said.
