A step in the right direction for Erie County. County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced Tuesday that overdose deaths were down at least 10% from the year before.
But the fight against addiction and opioids is nowhere near over.
Save the Michaels of the World and medical professionals from the Erie County Medical Center met at the Hyatt Place in Amherst on Wednesday. They spoke to families about what ECMC can do for those struggling with addiction and when they can accept them for in-treatment care.
They took time to say what they believe is the reason for a drop in overdose deaths in Erie County this past year.
“I think it's actually the providers, the prescribers, the MDs that are understanding that these drugs can be very dangerous,” said Dr. Mark Gunther, a VP of behavioral health at ECMC.
Both groups believe in order to keep the number of overdose deaths to continue to decrease, more emphasis needs to be placed on treatment.
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