OUR FIRST REPORT KEEPS US RIGHT HERE IN SYRACUSE.

RECENT REPORTS UNDERSCORE THE EVIDENT ECONOMIC REPER-CUSSIONS OF THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN SYRACUSE.

IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2023, ONONDAGA COUNTY RECORDED 33 FATALITIES ATTRIBUTED TO DRUG OVERDOSES, PROJECTING AN ESTIMATE OF 132 DEATHS FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.

THIS SCENARIO IS EMBLEMATIC OF A TRANSITION FROM CONVENTIONAL OPIOIDS TO A CRISIS DOMINATED BY FENTANYL, A SYNTHETIC OPIOID OFTEN AUGMENTED WITH OTHER SUBSTANCES TO HEIGHTEN ITS POTENCY.

FURTHERMORE, THE COUNTY CONTENDS WITH A WEEKLY AVERAGE OF 30 TO 65 OVERDOSE INCIDENTS, ENCOMPASSING BOTH FATAL AND NON-FATAL OCCURRENCES.

THIS SEGMENT FEATURES INSIGHTS FROM JEREMY KLEMANSKI, THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HELIO HEALTH, AS WELL AS A FATHER WHO HAS FIRSTHAND WITNESSED THE HARROWING CONSEQUENCES OF THE EPIDEMIC.

>> WOULD YOU SAY THE EPIDEMIC IS BETTER NOW THAN IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO?

ARE WE THE SAME OR HAS IT GOTTEN WORSE?

>> I THINK IT'S FAR WORSE.

EATS FAR WORSE IF WE MEASURE IT IN TERMS OF OVERDOSE.

IT'S FAR WORSE IF YOU MEASURE IT IN TERMS OF DEATH, FAR WORSE IF YOU MEASURE IN TERMS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO FUNCTION ENOUGH TO BE PART OF THE WORKFORCE AND PART OF OUR ECONOMY OR BE PART OF THEIR FAMILIES OR BE A HEALTHY PART OF OUR FUNCTIONING SOCIETY.

>> MY STEP DAUGHTER, HOLLAND, HAD SOME ADDICTION ISSUES AND WENT INTO TREATMENT AND THINGS JUST ESCALATED AFTER HER-- AFTER SHE GOT OUT OF TREATMENT.

SHE SUFFERED AN OVERDOSE AND APPARENTLY IT WAS FENTANYL.

NARCAN DIDN'T WORK.

THEY GAVE HER A COUPLE DOSES OF NARCAN.

SOMEHOW OR OTHER THEY GOT HER ON LIFE SUPPORT, INDUCED A COMA.

WE THOUGHT WE WERE PLANNING FOR HER FUNERAL.

AND MIRACLE OF MIRACLES, SHE DID COME OUT OF THE COMA AND WE HAD HIGH HOPES THAT THERE WOULD BE A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL RECOVERY.

UNFORTUNATELY SHE HAS BEEN AT THE NORTHEAST REHABILITATION BRAIN INJURY CENTER FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS.

AND THAT'S WHY I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT MORE ATTENTION NEEDS TO BE PAID TO POST TREATMENT CARE TO THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY.

>> WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW IS THERE IS A MISPERCEPTION THAT THERE IS ENOUGH RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH THE ENORMITY OF THE BEEN.

-- TO DEAL WITH THE ENORMITY OF THE PROBLEM.

THAT IS JUST NOT TRUE.

WE ARE CONSTANTLY SEEING HEADLINES ABOUT THE OPIOID SETTLEMENTS AND FUNDS THAT ARE COMING INTO NEW YORK.

THE FUNDS ARE NOT FLOWING TO PROVIDERS AT THIS POINT.

UTILIZATION OF CERTAIN TYPES OF PROGRAMS IS ACTUALLY DOWN.

AND ONE OF THE REASONS THEY'RE DOWN AND WE HAVE EMPTY BEDS ACROSS THIS STATE RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE PROVIDERS HAVE LOST SO MUCH STAFF.

THERE MIGHT BE A BED BUT THERE ARE ENOUGH NOT PEOPLE TO ANSWER THE CALLS COMING IN, NOT ENOUGH NURSES TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYBODY WHO NEEDS THEIR MEDS PASSED.

THERE IS NOT ENOUGH DOCTORS AND PSYCHIATRISTS TO SEE AND DIAGNOSE AND TREAT EVERYBODY.

THERE IS NOT ENOUGH COUNSELORS TO GET EVERYBODY THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY WANT AND WHAT IT DOES, THINK WHAT IT DOES TO A NURSE OR A COUNSELOR, IT CRUSHES THEM INSIDE EMOTIONALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY THAT THEY CAN'T GIVE THE TYPE OF CARE THIS THE THEY WANT TO GIVE.

IT HURTS THEM AND BUILDS UP AND THAT TYPE OF PAIN AND MENTAL ANGUISH AND TRAUMA CAUSES PEOPLE TO LIVE.

-- CAUSES PEOPLE TO LEAVE.

THE THING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOUR VIEWERS TO KNOW IS PEOPLE WHO FIND RECOVERY GO BACK TO WORK.

THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL.

THEY BECOME TAXPAYERS AGAIN.

THEY BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN THEIR FAMILIES, WHICH REDUCES BURDEN ON OUR SOCIAL SYSTEMS.

TREATMENT AND RECOVERY AND HARM REDUCTION AND PREVENTION SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY HUGE ECONOMIC ENGINES.

THERE ARE STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN THIS TYPE OF SERVICE HAS A RETURN OF 7 TO $10 IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.

I DON'T KNOW MANY PLACES YOU ARE GOING TO GET A BETTER RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT THAN THAT.

AND I DON'T KNOW MANY PLACES WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO FIX WORKFORCE SHORTAGES.

FAMILY PROBLEMS, CRIME PREMATURE DEATH, SO MANY THINGS ARE IMPACTED BY UNTREATED SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH.

SO WHAT I SAY TO FOLKS THAT CONTROL THE PURSE STRINGS IS TAKE A LOOK AT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT A GREATER INVESTMENT FROM YOU COULD HAVE ON OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR FAMILIES AND ASK YOURSELF ARE WE SPENDING ENOUGH?

ARE WE REALLY COMMITTED TO SOLVING THIS PROBLEM?