The pandemic saw a rise in opioid overdoses across the country. In New York, overdose deaths reached a record high in 2020. The city of Binghamton is one area that has seen a rise in overdoses this year. Mayor Jared Kraham says that’s due in large part to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid often added to heroin to make it stronger. The drug has been around for years, but Kraham says it has become a much more common factor in overdoses in Binghamton. He explains that the city is trying to curtail overdoses with a strategy that revolves around harm reduction rather than solely on enforcement. 

You can watch the full interview with Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham right here on our website, or on the Spectrum News App. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting Upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.