Staten Island, the borough that was hit hardest by New York City’s opioid epidemic, is being denied its share of the $1.5 billion settlement that drug companies agreed to pay toward overdose prevention.
According to Republican Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo, Staten Island is the only borough without a city-run hospital, which is where the city’s share of the payout is being allocated.
Pirozzolo plans to testify before a state-appointed board in Albany to argue that Staten Island is being treated unfairly. He believes that denying resources to Staten Island residents that were specifically earmarked to provide care and protection is discriminatory and likely illegal. In 2021, Staten Island averaged 37.1 accidental overdose deaths from opioid drugs per 100,000 residents, the second-highest rate among the five boroughs.
Pirozzolo estimates that Staten Island’s fair share of the 2021 settlement would exceed $10 million. He plans to demand that Gov. Hochul, Mayor Adams, and other officials take immediate steps to provide Staten Island with its fair share of the settlement. If they fail to do so, he will introduce legislation requiring the city and state to act.
In response, a spokesperson for the mayor claimed that there would be multiple rounds of opioid settlement funds supporting life-saving programs citywide, including Staten Island.
»Staten Island Claims Discrimination in Allocation of Opioid Settlement Funds«
↯↯↯Read More On The Topic On TDPel Media ↯↯↯