x
Breaking News
More () »

Combatting the region's opioid crisis

We sat down with Dr. Robert Whitney Tuesday to find out what's being done to combat the opioid epidemic in our region.

BUFFALO, NY - With President Trump's new plan to combat the opioid epidemic by giving drug dealers the death penalty, 2 On Your Side wanted to find out what is being done in the region to combat the epidemic.

So, our Michael Wooten spoke with a a physician helping to get the word out about the opioid epidemic.

Dr. Robert Whitney has been treating addiction for decades - and he's also on Erie County's Opiate Epidemic task force.

We asked him for a status report on how our region is doing in the effort to combat the crisis.

He pointed to recent numbers showing 2017 had fewer opioid overdose deaths in Erie County than the year before; That's promising.

We also have the opioid task force Whitney is on, so there's a lot of coordination happening. Plus we were home to the country's first ever opiate intervention court.

"We've got some of the pieces together. We've got a long ways to go, and although the signs are encouraging, we still have a ways to go in terms of making treatment more accessible, in terms of preventing people from getting this problem in the first place...but we're going in the right direction. I believe that, and further time will hopefully confirm that," Whitney says.

Dr. Whitney has been part of a team trying to educate the public by going into schools and talking to civic groups.

He says one of the biggest recent developments has been getting people medicine to help with their opioid addiction - medicine that can be taken whether you're in a facilityor if you're getting outpatient treatment.

But of course, there are still those who aren't getting the treatment they need, so everyone admits, there's still a lot of work left to do.

Before You Leave, Check This Out