ALBANY – New York State Senate Majority Leader John L. Flanagan announced the appointment of Senator Fred Akshar and Senator Chris Jacobs as two new co-Chairs of the Senate's bipartisan Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction on Friday, January 27, in hopes that the two will evaluate what further state measures are necessary to reduce drug abuse in New York.
“I'm humbled to have been appointed as a co-Chair of the Senate Heroin Task Force and I'm excited to continue working with my colleagues and with our community stakeholders in the coming year,” said Senator Akshar, a former law enforcement official with hands-on experience in fighting drug use and distribution. “Last year, the Task Force travelled the state, listened and took action by passing meaningful reforms to expand access to treatment and bolster prevention. We need to build on those successes, ensure that the reforms passed are properly implemented, and identify ways the state is still falling short in providing opportunities for individuals who need help to get clean and stay clean.”
Prior to being elected Senator of the state's 52nd District, Akshar was a 15-year law enforcement veteran and serving as Undersheriff for Broome County. Combatting the heroid epidemic, Akshar says, has been a major focus of his since taking office.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 2,754 New Yorkers died of a drug overdose in 2015 – a majority due to heroid and opioids – which is a 20 percent increase from the year prior.
The implementation of the Task Force is said to address the growing epidemic, and was deemed as instrumental in securing a $25 million increase over last year's Executive Budget proposal to help address the crisis caused by the heroin and opioid epidemic, ultimately totalling $189 million in funding.
Recently elected Senators Pam Helming, Elaine Phillips, and James Tedisco have also joined the Task Force as members, and former co-Chairs Senators Terrence Murphy and Robert Ortt will continue to be active members of the Task Force.