Governor Cuomo and His Shameful Legacy on Overdose

DON’T LET THE DOOR… –

August 12, 2021 – “All of us are relieved,” Biz Berthy, a drug policy organizer with VOCAL-NY, told Filter. “Those of us fighting to end overdose in New York have long known the toxicity of his administration. He’s built out a legacy of attacking the most vulnerable among us, especially those susceptible to overdose.”

While calls for indictment grow louder, advocates are also now turning their attention to Hochul and the role she’ll play in addressing—or exacerbating—the state’s overdose crisis. For more than three years, Cuomo has stonewalled New York City and Ithaca from launching pilot safe consumption sites (SCS), also known as overdose prevention centers. After the NYC pilot got a green light from Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2018, Cuomo swooped in to impose a requirement that any proposed SCS program first undergo a review by the state health department before opening. (Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee for NYC Mayor, also supports SCS). Over 30,000 people have died of drug overdose during Cuomo’s tenure as governor.

Cuomo also actively prevented low-income New Yorkers from accessing medication for opioid use disorder. On New Year’s Day 2020, he vetoed a bill to make buprenorphine and methadone more accessible for people with Medicaid—while removing barriers for people with private insurance.