MONTICELLO – Sullivan County has the distinction of having among the highest number of substance abuse fatalities per capita in the state. With that in mind, Congressman Marcus Molinaro (R, NY-19) brought public officials, health and mental health professionals and law enforcement together on Tuesday in Monticello.
Molinaro said bringing all stakeholders together was aimed at confronting the problem in a coordinated fashion. “It helps us to affect a solution, point all in the same direction, row in the same direction, talk and coordinate in the same direction,” he said.
Sheriff Michael Schiff said that approach is not necessarily what is being done at present.
“We have to work together as a group and I think that has been one of the fallbacks over the years, that everybody has their piece they do, and they want their piece, and they don’t look at the overall health. We all have a piece and we all have to be effective. And, I think as long as we move in that direction as a group, we will start to be effective.”
County Legislature Chairman Rob Doherty said as a county, if people use drugs, they need help to get off them as fast as possible.
