[FREE] Serving Philipstown and Beacon SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2017 161 MAIN ST., COLD SPRING, N.Y. | highlandscurrent.com Part 1: We Know There’s a Problem. What Can Be Done About It? hat’s the question The Current hoped and suicide. They kill more Americans each year to answer for the Highlands. Last year, than die in auto crashes or gun violence. They Tdrug overdoses – the most visible marker are killing people faster than H.I.V. ever did. And of the epidemic – killed 64,000 Americans, the addition of fentanyl to the mix with heroin a 22 percent increase over the year before. has made the epidemic even deadlier. About 15,400 of those deaths involved heroin, When fentanyl showed up in the Hud- 20,000 involved fentanyl (a synthetic that is 50 son Valley in late 2013, there were 68 heroin to 100 times more powerful than morphine) overdoses in Poughkeepsie in less than two and 14,400 involved prescription painkillers, months. Fentanyl is widely used in medicine; according to preliminary federal data. much of what is found on the street is manu- On July 31 a commission assembled by Presi- factured in illicit labs in China and Mexico. dent Donald Trump to address the crisis made an Why wait for a poppy to grow? A lethal dose urgent recommendation that he declare a na- At a vigil held in Cold Spring on Aug. 31 to raise aware- is about 2 milligrams, which looks like a few tional emergency, noting that the overdose death ness of overdose deaths, a participant adds Matt Her- grains of salt. It is so potent that police officers rate in the U.S. has reached the equivalent of 142 ring's name to painted rocks. Herring, 24, of Wappingers can be sickened during drug busts. And deal- people per day. Falls, died on Aug. 25. Photo by Ross Corsair ers are now importing the even more deadly The problem is not far away. Dutchess and carfentanil, an elephant tranquilizer that is Putnam counties together have an overdose 10,000 times more powerful than morphine, serve International Overdose Awareness Day to mix with heroin. Chinese suppliers sell 2 death, on average, about every four days. State- and call for more resources to fight the ex- wide, about seven people die each day. From pounds of the drug – enough for 50 million panding shadows. We saw it in graffiti near the doses – for about $2,750. 2013 to 2015, Dutchess had the second highest Metro-North station: “Cold Spring Kills Kids & rate of overdose deaths per capita in the state Breaks Hearts.” According to a federal report released last (trailing nearby Sullivan County); Putnam was month, nearly 600,000 teenagers and adults in in the middle of the pack, but the rates in both Overdoses have become the leading cause of the U.S. are addicted to heroin, and more than counties were higher than those of death for Americans under 50, outpacing assault 2 million to prescription painkillers. New York City or the state. Doctors in Putnam County write On Aug. 18, Forrest Ryzy-Ryski, Originally published in The Current in September and 50,000 prescriptions annually for opi- a 2011 graduate of Haldane High October 2017, this series has four parts. oids; in Dutchess, it’s 165,000, both at per-capita rates higher than New School in Cold Spring and a talented In Part 1, reporters Michael Turton and Liz Schevtchuk Arm- artist, writer and martial arts fighter, York City or the state at large. Most strong spoke with the parents of young men who struggled with states, including New York, have became the latest casualty when he opioid addiction. One died, one survived, but they faced many of died of a heroin overdose in Geor- cracked down on doctors who over- the same obstacles in getting treatment. We asked the parents to prescribe, but that forces many ad- gia, where he was attending Ken- share their experiences, hoping it would provide a road map. nesaw State University. He was 23. dicts to turn to street drugs, whose In Part 2, we examined the role of law enforcement and the potency is harder to measure. A memorial service was held courts in battling the epidemic. Turton looked at the work of the To find out more about the fight in Garrison on Sept. 10. The day Putnam County Drug Treatment Court, while Jeff Simms spent after his death, on Facebook, his against opioid addiction in the time with Beacon and Dutchess County police officers who are at Highlands, The Current created grandmother posted an anguished the front lines. plea: “I wish I could go with him an enterprise journalism fund with and take care of him, tell him that In Part 3, we explained treatment options. Brian PJ Cronin initial contributions from members I love him and try to understand profiled the Dutchess County Stabilization Center, an innovative of our board of directors. Their sup- the big why.” In frustration, she first stop for those in crisis, while Anita Peltonen and Armstrong port allowed our writers, photogra- warned others who, perhaps, think visited treatment centers at Graymoor in Garrison, Arms Acres in phers and designers — Chip Rowe, they do not need help: “There is Carmel and CoveCare Center (formerly Putnam Family & Com- Scott Veale, Michael Turton, Liz no answer, you also will die, it is a munity Services) in Carmel. Schevtchuk Armstrong, Jeff Simms, Anita Peltonen, Kate Vikstrom, Lynn matter of time. Your grandmother Finally, in Part 4, we shared the thoughts of specialists, coun- will shed tears to no end, too.” selors, doctors and those struggling with addiction about what Carano, Ross Corsair and Brian PJ they feel should take priority in addressing the problem. Cronin — to spend more time on We saw some of that pain on this project than they would for a Aug. 31 at the Cold Spring band- We appreciate your feedback about the series and thoughts typical news story. We hope to ad- stand, when those struggling with about how best to address the epidemic. Email editor@highland- dress other national issues of local addiction and their families and scurrent.com. importance in the near future. supporters came together to ob- 2 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2017 The Highlands Current highlandscurrent.com of the user in the hope that it is Sasha’s Story a phase. “Those were the two “So much pain; so many camps,” Melanie says. “You were questions” either tough love or an enabler.” Help hard to come by By Michael Turton Denial was not an issue in the lexander “Sasha” Matero, Matero household. of Garrison, died in 2014 of “We tried to attack it head on Aan overdose after struggling as best we could, given the limited with an opioid addiction since knowledge we had and the outside before he graduated from Haldane help we could find,” Jim says. A lethal dose of the synthetic opioid High School in 2007. He was bur- fentanyl. DEA The first time they found Sasha ied on what would have been his badly impaired, they knew it was 25th birthday. The Materos, who own Jaymark not from smoking a little marijuana. Jewelers on Route 9, had medical Jim and Melanie Matero ad- But it wasn’t heroin, either. They opted Sasha from Russia in 1999, insurance that entitled their son to took him to the emergency room, 30 days of rehab. when he was 9. They remember where Melanie said they were told: their son as a curious, intelligent “That’s nothing that needs detox. Four days after he was admit- and personable young man with a Sasha Matero There’s no need to admit him. You ted, they say the insurer told them smile that lit up a room. “He really can take him home.” that Sasha would be released in had a joie de vivre,” Melanie says. what quickly became an addiction. two days. “How can that can be?” “He lost his entire social group Jim argued, telling the doctors, “No! Jim recalls asking. The response: In 2005, when he was a sopho- because he could no longer play Something is seriously wrong here.” more in high school, Sasha had “It’s his first time. That’s all he soccer,” she said. “He lost his iden- The next afternoon, they took surgery to repair his ACL, a knee liga- needs.” tity and the painkillers helped him Sasha to their family doctor. Mela- ment, which he had injured in an ac- The six-day stint was the only time deal with that.” nie believes the ER visit had fright- cident. During his recovery, he took during Sasha’s illness that their insur- ened her son. “He let the doctor opioid painkillers. “It wasn’t a big The Materos think the painkillers ance covered the cost of rehab. were overprescribed initially but tell us that he thought he had topic of conversation at the time,’’ After paying for another week say other factors quickly followed. a drug problem,” she said. The Jim recalls. “The doctor prescribed on their own, they appealed the “I’m sure he’d go to a party and problem was the opioid pain pills. it. You have to trust the doctor.” insurance company’s decision take whatever kids had, take a lot The Materos asked how to get to the New York State attorney Becoming addicted of Dimetapp [cough syrup], smoke Sasha admitted to a residential general. The AG’s office sided with The pills “flipped the switch,” Mela- some pot, as long as it killed the drug treatment program, but were the insurer.