MONTICELLO – The opioid epidemic in Sullivan County and the region still exists, but there has been some progress in addressing the problem, according to Dr. Carlos Holden, director of the emergency department at Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. He addressed the Public Safety and Law Enforcement Committee of the County Legislature on Thursday.
Holden said the increased use of Narcan and the state’s prescription check registry have helped put a slight dent in opioid use.
In the end, he said opioid use should be treated as a chronic disease.
“Just like there will always be people with diabetes, there are always going to be people who have problems with substances,” Holden said. “Where I think we can make improvements is in the way that we manage this, first of all, in destigmatizing it and saying this is an illness like any other. If you come forward, there is help available and support and all kinds of resources out there for people to manage this condition.”
Holden said the abuse will never go away, but society can do a better job of managing it and supporting people with drug abuse issues.
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