There’s a surplus of opioid news in New York state.

Last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office issued a press release highlighting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data indicating that opioid overdose deaths are down slightly in both upstate New York and in New York City. 

This week, the advocacy group Vocal-NY held a protest at Gov. Hochul’s New York City-based offices demanding that the administration do more to address the opioid crisis.

Addiction treatment providers are again calling on the governor to declare a public health state of emergency around the opioid epidemic just in time for Opioid Awareness Day, this Saturday.

And the push continues from groups like Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse to urge all states, including New York, to ensure access to all FDA-approved reversal agents, not just Narcan.

Capital Tonight discussed many of these issues with the New York State Department of Health’s new Senior Policy Advisor on substance use prevention, Dr. David Holtgrave, who formerly worked at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.