Answer Addiction

Tag: New York City

  • NYC Bans Alcohol Ads on City Properties to Reduce Problem Drinking

    NYC Bans Alcohol Ads on City Properties to Reduce Problem Drinking

    NYC joins LA, Philadelphia and San Francisco in restricting alcohol advertising on city-owned spaces.

    Alcohol advertising will no longer be displayed on New York City-owned property such as bus shelters, newsstands, phone booths and wifi kiosks.

    Mayor Bill de Blasio issued the alcohol advertising ban via Executive Order, effective immediately. The ban will affect most city-owned properties except for venues that serve alcohol like Citi Field.

    Despite a foreseeable loss of advertising revenue of around $3 million each year, city officials say it’s worth it to try and reduce the effects of problem drinking. In the 2018 fiscal year, alcohol advertising generated $2.7 million for the city. These advertisements occupy about 3% of city-owned advertising space.

    “There’s no doubt that far too many New Yorkers struggle with serious substance misuse issues, among them excessive drinking,” said de Blasio in a statement Tuesday.

    In 2016, NYC counted 110,000 alcohol-related ER visits, and 2,000 alcohol-related fatalities from car accidents, liver disease, etc.

    “In New York City, we see far too many deaths related to alcohol,” said city health commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “We know exposure to alcohol advertising can lead to drinking more alcohol, more often behavior that can be harmful and even fatal.”

    City officials cite research that have linked exposure to alcohol advertisements with drinking behavior. By minimizing New Yorkers’ exposure to alcohol advertising, they are hoping to reduce problem drinking in the city.

    There is plenty of research on the subject.

    “Parents and peers have a large impact on youth decisions to drink. However, research clearly indicates that alcohol advertising and marketing also have a significant effect by influencing youth and adult expectations and attitudes, and helping to create an environment that promotes underage drinking,” according to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Johns Hopkins University.

    Eighteen months ago, the city’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) banned alcohol advertisements on NYC buses, subway cars and stations.

    Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco have also banned alcohol ads on city property.

    “Too many people in our city struggle with excessive drinking, and irresponsible advertisements for alcohol make the problem worse―especially when they target communities of color,” said NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray. “Today, New York City is taking a stand to protect the health and well-being of all of our communities.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Runners In Recovery Conquer The NYC Marathon

    Runners In Recovery Conquer The NYC Marathon

    “It’s a miracle story. This group, last year, some were in prison, now they are in the program running the New York City Marathon.”

    More than 50,000 people ran in this year’s New York City Marathon on Sunday (Nov. 4). Among them was team Odyssey House, a small group of people in recovery.

    The team of 45 runners included 19 current clients, alumni and supporters, ranging in age from 25 to 72 years old.

    “It’s a miracle story. This group, last year, some were in prison, now they are in the program running the New York City Marathon,” said Odyssey House CEO John Tavolacci, who has run 22 marathons. “I always tell people, society gave up on this group, I tell them everyone has given up on you. This is your opportunity to prove them wrong. This is part of their recovery.”

    Since 2001, the program has seen 500 clients compete in 19 marathons.

    John Kane of Long Island, 47, is in recovery from painkillers and heroin. He has been sober for 1 year and 7 months. “Through hard work with counselors and joining the running team, I’ve overcome my addiction. Running has become my passion. I help train new clients as a volunteer and hopefully they have the same experience I did,” he said.

    Kane says the demand of running the 26.2-mile trek requires skills that are “transferable” to any part of life.

    “The hard work, the perseverance, the dedication it takes to run a marathon can cross over into your everyday life—as far as setting a goal, working toward that goal and achieving that goal,” he said to the New York Times.

    Running, and exercise in general, are popular among people in recovery. An exercise routine can provide structure in early recovery—not to mention the health benefits of improving one’s fitness and a natural feeling of euphoria that come with it.

    “I like the way I feel after a run. I may not want to start running. At the beginning I’m like, ‘I really don’t want to go for this run,’ to be honest. But then I know how I’m going to feel afterward. It replaces the adrenaline that I was looking for when I was using drugs,” says 36-year-old Ryan Stevens, an Odyssey House alumni. Stevens ran her fourth marathon this year.

    This was the 21st marathon for Andre Matthews of the Bronx, 58, who coaches the Odyssey House runners. “I find that when you stay connected in recovery, it’s one addict helping another. It’s a parallel process as you grow and mature in recovery and continue to be a part of people in their recovery, it also benefits you,” said Matthews, who has 20 years of sobriety.

    Matthews’ sister and assistant coach, Sylvia Hyman, has run for the last 10 years to support her brother. “It’s absolutely incredible,” she said. “I was on the sideline watching Andre for so many years… These guys are athletes. It’s like a blessing, they’re like family, it’s inspiring… if they can do it, anyone can do it.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • NYC Welcomes Public To Marijuana "Listening Sessions"

    NYC Welcomes Public To Marijuana "Listening Sessions"

    The public’s feedback will help state officials draft legislation to legalize marijuana in New York.

    New York is hosting “listening sessions” across the state to gather the public’s input on marijuana legalization.

    The Regulated Marijuana Listening Sessions will run from September to mid-October across New York state, as Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in August.

    “Community input is critical as we work to draft balanced and comprehensive legislation on a regulated marijuana program in New York,” Cuomo said at the time.

    A July report commissioned by Cuomo—the Assessment of the Potential Impact of Regulated Marijuana in New York State—concluded that the positive impacts of a regulated marijuana market outweigh the possible negative impacts, according to a press release issued in August by the governor’s office.

    The feedback from the public will inform the Regulated Marijuana Workgroup, which will draft legislation to legalize marijuana in New York, that will be considered by the state legislature in the upcoming session.

    “The multi-agency report identified the benefits of a regulated marijuana market, and with these listening sessions we are taking another important step to develop a model program for New York. We look forward to hearing what New Yorkers in every corner of the state have to say,” said Cuomo.

    New York currently has a medical marijuana program in place, albeit with several limitations. Home cultivation, smokable medical marijuana, and edible products are not allowed under the program.

    The report—which assessed the impact of a legal marijuana system in New York from a health, economic, public safety and criminal justice perspective—also stated that potential areas of concern can be mitigated through regulation and public education.

    “Input from communities in every region of the state is an essential part of our approach to a regulated marijuana program,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul in August. “With a thoughtful process, New York is moving forward to craft a policy that will ensure continued progress across our state.”

    The remaining listening sessions are listed below:

    Sept. 26 – Staten Island

    Sept. 27 – Long Island

    Oct. 1 – Newburgh

    Oct. 2 – Binghamton

    Oct. 3 – Buffalo

    Oct. 4 – Rochester

    Oct. 9 – Syracuse

    Oct. 10 – Utica

    Oct. 11 – Watertown

    For more information on locations and pre-registration, visit the New York state website.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Cocaine Safety Tips Rolled Out As Part Of NYC Awareness Campaign

    Cocaine Safety Tips Rolled Out As Part Of NYC Awareness Campaign

    Though critics feel the safety tips are promoting drug use, the health department counters, “We can’t connect New Yorkers to treatment if they are dead.”

    New York City is trying to get the word out about cocaine laced with fentanyl with a new harm reduction effort: issuing cocaine safety tips.

    As CBS New York reports, this effort has been spearheaded by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene because in 2016, fentanyl was found in 37% of overdose deaths involving cocaine—an 11% jump from the previous year.

    The Department of Health also told Forbes, “In New York City, someone dies of a drug overdose every seven hours. In 2017, there were 1,441 overdose deaths confirmed to date; opioids were involved in over 80% of those deaths.”

    To help make the public aware, warnings against cocaine that could be laced with fentanyl have been printed up on coasters, and health officials have been handing out them out at bars and nightclubs on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

    The coasters being passed around the city ask in bold pink letters, “Using Cocaine?” and they warn the reader that “fentanyl, a drug stronger than heroin, is being mixed into cocaine and is causing a spike in drug overdose deaths.”

    Several of the safety tips on these coasters include using cocaine with other people so they can help you in case of an overdose. These coasters also recommend you have naloxone (Narcan) at the ready in case you’ve accidentally ingested fentanyl.

    The coasters inform the public where to access naloxone, and they recommend downloading the Stop OD NYC app, which has important information on the dangers of fentanyl. (These coasters also list the helpline 888-NYC-WELL, where you can talk to counselors and link up with a number of resources.)

    New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told CBS New York, “When the health department tries to figure out a public health campaign, they are very mindful of not wanting to have unintended consequences. But, let’s be blunt, tragically there’s a lot of people using cocaine and thinking it’s safe… Any way to tell people it’s not safe anymore and could be laced with an extraordinarily lethal drug—that’s our obligation to get that information out.”

    Officials from the health department also told the network, “The city is not encouraging drug usage—we are encouraging safety. We can’t connect New Yorkers to treatment if they are dead.”

    View the original article at thefix.com