PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Bennett Allen, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine
1:57:49
ยท
125 sec
Bennett Allen from NYU Grossman School of Medicine testifies on behalf of NYU Langone Health regarding the city's opioid settlement funds. He outlines recommendations for investing these funds in science, health, and equity to address the opioid epidemic and prevent future crises.
- Short-term: Invest in life-saving overdose prevention and harm reduction services, including naloxone distribution and integrating services in the shelter system.
- Medium-term: Expand availability of evidence-based treatments like methadone and buprenorphine through innovative pathways.
- Long-term: Make broad-based investments in housing, poverty alleviation, education, and prevention programming for youth and young adults.
Bennett Allen
1:57:49
Good afternoon, chairs Narcisse, and Lee and members of the committee on hospitals and committee on mental health disabilities and addictions.
1:57:56
My name is Bennett Allen, and I'm an assistant professor of epidemiology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine where I've dedicated my scientific career to the study of overdose prevention.
1:58:05
On behalf of NYU Langone Health, I'd like to express our gratitude to the committees for holding this joint hearing and our appreciation for the opportunity to testify.
1:58:13
The city's opioid settlement funds present a rare opportunity to bend the curve of the epidemic, eliminate eliminate disparities and overdose by race and by class, and make our city healthier, safer, and fairer for all New Yorkers.
1:58:25
I'll now outline some approaches that NYU lingo and health recommends the city take to invest in science, health, and equity.
1:58:32
In the short term, the city could invest in life saving overdose prevention and response services focused on harm reduction, which include tools like the overdose antidote naloxone, testing strips for xylazine and other adulterants, and education about safe reuse.
1:58:45
For example, settlement funds could bolster and increase the city's path breaking investments to integrate harm reduction services throughout the shelter system as overdose is the leading cause of death among homeless New Yorkers.
1:58:57
In the medium term, the city could build on its substantial and commendable investments in the evidence based treatments methadone and buprenorphine, which are our two best treatments for opioid addiction.
1:59:07
Settlement funds could increase the availability of these medicines through innovative pathways, like mobile services or collocating these treatments in supportive housing.
1:59:15
And in the long term, the city could prevent future crises through broad based investments to strengthen the social fabric of New York.
1:59:22
This conclude investments in housing, poverty alleviation, and education.
1:59:26
Settlement funds could support innovative and reality oriented prevention programming for youth and young adults to make sure that overdose prevention is available widely and early to New Yorkers before addiction progresses.
1:59:38
In summary, the city should really seize this opportunity to weave together and strengthen, our city's existing, infrastructure to end the epidemic and protect the most vulnerable New Yorkers.
1:59:49
On behalf of NYU Langone Health, I just wanna thank you for the opportunity to testify.
1:59:54
So