Advocates gathered near the state Capitol in Albany Friday for Overdose Awareness Day -- recognizing the 72,000 people in the U.S. who have died of drug overdoses in recent years and calling action from state officials.

We're demanding public health responses because it's a public health crisis,” said Director of Health and Harm Reduction at the Katal Center Keith Brown. “This is not a criminal crisis that we're in.

State lawmakers and Governor Andrew Cuomo have approved more spending to combat heroin and opioid overdoses, including broader access to naloxone, a drug that can counteract the effects of an overdose. But advocates are also pushing for the inclusion of safe consumption sites that would also include access to treatment.

“There are areas of the state and the Capital District that are hard for people to access treatment from,” said Brown. “So, number one, we're asking for a focus on immediate health and safety to keep people. Number two, we're demanding science-backed investments in treatment.

Advocates plan to lobby state lawmakers heavily on the push to curtail overdose deaths.

“These folks in these buildings should expect to see a lot of us, so we'll be in there demanding action,” said Brown.

The next legislative session starts in January.