Like many areas across the nation, the Hudson Valley has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. That’s why the National Institutes of Health and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration launched the HEALing Communities Study — to determine the best ways to prevent opioid misuse and deaths.

Orange County is one of 16 counties in New York to be included in the study.

"For the 40 years I've been on the job, law enforcement has really had a single plan of enforcement, and the truth is, we're not winning the war on drugs. There's more drug use today than there's ever been," Orange County Undersheriff Kenneth T. Jones said.

What You Need To Know

  • The HEALing Communities Study will look at the most effective ways to prevent opioid misuse and deaths 

  • The study hopes to cut opioid-related deaths by 40%

  • In 2020, there were 121 fatal opioid-related deaths in Orange County, up from 97 in 2019

It's this decades-long battle that has Jones signing up to help find a solution, a new solution.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office will partner with Columbia University and other Orange County agencies as part of the study. The program will search for the best way to prevent opioid drug use and deaths.

"We're gonna try and identify exactly what model works, and it's going to be a mosaic of several agencies playing roles and fitting their piece into what we hope is a model that can be utilized around New York state," said Jones.

Jones said opioid drug use is especially concerning among young people.

"It's probably the number one problem affecting young people in Orange County," he said. "You just had an incident in Goshen schools that led to significant overdoses of middle school children."

According to the Orange County Medical Examiners Office, in 2020, there were 121 fatal opioid-related overdoses, up from 97 in 2019.

Jones hopes the work in Orange County can help the right policies be implemented across New York state, with the ultimate goal of cutting opioid deaths by 40%.

Orange County just received over $3 million last month as a result of settlements with opioid manufacturers​ and distributors.

"If you're a dealer of drugs, don’t expect any particular help or understanding from us, but if you're a user of drugs, there's going to be alternatives to incarceration and arrest," said Jones.