Westchester Announces new program to fight opioid addiction

Westchester is launching a new initiative to fight rising opioid and heroin addiction throughout the county.

County Executive Rob Astorino's new program aims to stop addiction before it starts. He said it will create better communication between health officials, police and other actors to help curb opioid overdoses. He said they are a problem that affect everyone in the county.

"Westchester, like anywhere else, is dealing with this enemy that is so strong and so deadly. It cuts across all socioeconomic [groups], whether it's urban, suburban or rural it doesn't matter," Astorino said. "This junk out there is cheap, it is extraordinarily strong and deadly, and we just can't bear another funeral."

Called Project WORTHY, the program "creates response teams for parents or anyone in need, from the beginning to the end," Astorino said. He said within the past 5 years, opioid related deaths have almost tripled in Westchester. Last year alone, he said there were 133 "saves" with Narcan treatment, an antidote that resuscitates someone who has overdosed.

Astorino said the program's goal is to recognize the warning signs of addiction and "go back in time" to stop people from even trying the drugs for the first time.