New York State Attorney General Letitia James met with local leaders in Newburgh earlier this month to discuss the state’s lawsuits against large pharmaceutical companies and the local community’s response to the epidemic.

Late last month, New York state prosecutors filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers, the family that owns the company. Prosecutors alleged the Oxy-Contin maker fraudulently transferred funds out of the company and engaged in deceptive marketing campaigns regarding the risk of opioid addiction.

The state is seeking millions of dollars that would be put into a special fund to fight the opioid epidemic. It would also prevent the companies involved in the suit from distributing painkillers in the state unless they abide by strict guidelines.

“Through years of false and deceptive marketing, these companies misled the public about the true dangers associated with opioids and failure to exercise their most basic duty to detect and report the perversion of opioids, this duty which is found in the law of the great state of New York,” James said. “We filed this lawsuit because these companies must be held accountable and New Yorkers deserve justice.”

U.S. Congressman Sean Maloney said the federal level has taken a six-pillar approach to fighting the opioid epidemic: prevention, treatment, recovery, law enforcement, criminal justice reform and overdose death prevention.

On a county level, law enforcement has been equipped with Narcan, a drug which reverses the effects of an overdose, saving many lives.

“Although they were 78 [overdose] deaths in 2018, we had dozens of saves through Narcan,” Orange County Undersheriff Kenneth Jones said. “That number would have been considerably higher if not for the distribution of Narcan.”

Jones said jails and drug courts are actually effective treatment centers.

Another important recovery program in the community are certified recovery peer advocates, who go into the community to meet with individuals who are considering entering treatment, who are currently in treatment or who have exited treatment.

Cornerstone’s Center for Recovery houses the only methadone clinic in Orange County, one of several Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) options available. Cornerstone President and CEO Linda Muller said recovery should be made available to everyone and should not be stigmatized, as the clinic has faced local opposition when presented in other communities.

“What do the people in recovery look like? They look like us,” Mueller said. “They care like we do. They want to be back with their families. They want to be back with their children. They want to be with their husbands; they want to go back to their jobs. They don’t want to be thinking about, where do I get the next hit.”

Muller said Cornerstone currently has 600 people in treatment and 445 people on the waiting list.

On the local level, City of Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey said the city is partnering with state and federal entities to secure funding to continue its efforts in prevention, treatment and recovery.

The opioid crisis is devastating to the community, cutting across all socioeconomic lines, Harvey said. He has a loved one who has suffered from addiction, so he knows the personal devastation the disease can have on families.

“It’s really devastating and it does touch many people, especially those that are your loved ones, if you have an addiction, It has affected me, that’s why this is a really significant initiative, attorney general, that you are bringing to light,” Harvey said.