“It can happen to anyone.”

That was Assemblyman Phil Palmesano’s (R,C,I-Corning) message today at a press conference in Albany highlighting the need for legislators to attack the heroin epidemic sweeping across our state.

“This disease targets the young and old, the rich and poor. It doesn’t discriminate. We need our response to be just as broad and just as powerful as the disease we are working to overcome, and the only way we’re going to do it is together,” said Palmesano.

Palmesano’s Assembly Minority Conference traveled across the state and held forums where law enforcement officials, mental health counselors, recovering addicts and their families and medical experts delivered testimony on the best ways to battle this crisis. That testimony was the backbone of a report the conference issued this year that Friends of Recovery New York called the most comprehensive in state government.

Senate Majority has passed their own legislation to eradicate the epidemic, and Palmesano is encouraging the Assembly Majority to come to the negotiating table with their ideas before it is too late.

“We only have nine days left in the legislative session to offer a lifeline to these New Yorkers who are struggling with one of the most painful, difficult diseases imaginable,” said Palmesano. “We know what needs to change. Funding levels need to change so we can offer better detox care, more rehabilitation beds and more aggressive follow-up care. We need to change attitudes and convince family members not to judge loved ones who are battling this disease. And we need to give law enforcement officials the tools they need to get this poison out of our communities. We’re urging the Assembly Majority to join us.”

Palmesano said this public health crisis will test whether or not lawmakers can break down ideological and political divides to do the right thing.

“President Harry Truman said that ‘It is amazing what you can accomplish when you do not care who gets the credit.’ We should heed his advice because every day we wait, we lose more people in our communities to this growing epidemic. With just nine days left in the legislative session, the time to act is now.”