newscannabismental-healthNew York's Cannabis Treatment System Is Collapsing Just as Youth Need It MostAs New York legalizes adult cannabis use, the state's treatment infrastructure for young people struggling with marijuana addiction is shrinking. Admissions have fallen by half in eight years, emergency departments lack linkage programs, and pediatricians aren't trained to spot the problem.April 8, 20267 min read
newscannabistreatmentNew York's Cannabis Treatment Admissions Dropped 50% While ER Visits Doubled—And Young People Are Falling Through the CracksCannabis treatment admissions in New York have dropped 50% since 2016, even as marijuana-related emergency department visits have more than doubled. Young people struggling with high-potency cannabis face a treatment system that wasn't designed for them—and the state is scrambling to catch up.April 7, 20268 min read
newspolicyfederalWhite House Budget Proposes 12% Cut to Health Agency Funding Addiction Treatment NationwideThe Trump administration's fiscal 2027 budget would slash federal health funding by 12.5%, consolidating and eliminating programs at SAMHSA that fund addiction treatment across New York. Congress has final say, but the proposal creates immediate uncertainty for providers.April 6, 20267 min read
newsnaloxoneharm-reductionNYC Honors Public Health Worker Behind Naloxone Vending Machines That Distributed 4,500 Overdose KitsNew York City recognized a dozen public servants for innovative projects that improve city services. Among the winners: Roxanne Anderson, who launched vending machines that dispense free naloxone, syringes, and harm reduction supplies across the city.April 3, 20264 min read
newsfederalfundingFeds Drop $100 Million on New Addiction Program That Targets Homelessness—And Faith Groups Are InThe Trump administration just announced a $100 million program to tackle addiction among homeless Americans. Faith-based groups are eligible—but the fine print shows ties to a controversial executive order on involuntary treatment.April 2, 20267 min read
newsfederalfundingFederal Government Launches $100 Million Program to Connect People Experiencing Addiction and Homelessness with Housing and TreatmentThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a $100 million federal investment in the STREETS Initiative, aiming to expand treatment, outreach, and housing support for people experiencing addiction and homelessness.March 31, 20264 min read
NnewsopioidfundingNew York Airs Statewide Documentary Showing Where Billions in Opioid Settlement Funds Are GoingA new 30-minute documentary produced by OASAS is airing statewide this month, revealing where hundreds of millions in opioid settlement dollars are going—and putting faces to the crisis through personal stories of loss, survival, and recovery.March 30, 20267 min read
newsnaloxonepolicyNew York Just Became First State to Require Naloxone in Workplace First Aid KitsEmployers who maintain first aid kits under federal OSHA rules will soon be required to include naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug. The law takes effect December 13, 2026.March 27, 20264 min read
newspolicynaloxoneNew York Now Requires Naloxone in Workplace First Aid Kits. Here's What Employers Need to Know.AB 9453 expands workplace safety requirements across New York, mandating naloxone in first aid supplies at thousands of worksites by the end of 2026.March 26, 20264 min read
newspolicyopioidFederal Government Moves to Ban Synthetic Opioid Sold in Gas Stations Before It Triggers the Next Addiction CrisisFederal regulators are racing to ban a synthetic opioid that's been sold legally in convenience stores and vape shops across the country. The substance, 7-hydroxymitragynine—known as 7-OH—is a concentrated byproduct of the kratom plant that officials say is as addictive as heroin and more potent than morphine.March 25, 20268 min read
newsdeep-divefederalWhiplash at HHS: How Trump's $2 Billion Grant Cuts Threw New York's Addiction Treatment System Into Chaos—Then Reversed in 24 HoursIn January, the Trump administration sent termination letters to thousands of mental health and addiction programs nationwide. New York's safety net scrambled. Then, 24 hours later, the money came back. But the chaos didn't end there.March 20, 20268 min read
newsopioidrecoveryNew York Airs Rare Statewide TV Program on Opioid Crisis — Here's What It ShowsA 30-minute program airing across New York this month gives the public an inside look at how the state is using hundreds of millions in opioid settlement money—and tells the stories of New Yorkers who've lived through addiction and recovery.March 19, 20267 min read
newspolicyfentanylDEA Just Banned Three Synthetic Opioids Stronger Than Fentanyl. Why New York Should Pay Attention.The DEA placed three nitazene-class synthetic opioids into Schedule I effective March 11, 2026. These substances are up to 40 times more potent than fentanyl and have been detected in overdose deaths nationwide.March 17, 20268 min read
newsfederalfundingFederal Government Announces $100M 'STREETS' Program to Connect Homeless People With Addiction to Housing and TreatmentThe new STREETS Initiative marks a departure from prior harm reduction policies, directing $100 million toward outreach, psychiatric care, and housing for Americans experiencing homelessness and addiction.March 16, 20267 min read
newsmedicaidfundingFederal Medicaid Probe Threatens Coverage for 1.7 Million New Yorkers — Including Those Seeking Addiction TreatmentThe Trump administration has opened a fraud investigation into New York's $124 billion Medicaid program, threatening to freeze payments if the state doesn't respond within 30 days. For the 1.7 million New Yorkers who depend on Medicaid-funded health care—including thousands in addiction treatment—the stakes couldn't be higher.March 13, 20268 min read
newsoasasfundingNew York Airs Documentary on $3B Opioid Settlement SpendingA new documentary airing across New York gives the public its first look at how the state is deploying $3 billion in opioid settlement funds, including personal stories from families who lost loved ones and teens who learned to save lives with naloxone.March 12, 20264 min read
newsnaloxonepolicyNew York Employers Must Now Keep Naloxone Where First Aid Kits Are RequiredNew York recently amended its labor laws to require private employers who maintain workplace first aid supplies to also stock naloxone or another FDA-approved opioid antagonist. The change comes as workplace overdose deaths continue to rise nationwide.March 11, 20264 min read
newsmental-healthfundingFederal Government Opens $69 Million in Mental Health Grants, Targets Suicide Prevention and Youth CareThe federal government is making $69 million available to healthcare systems, states, and community providers working on youth mental health, suicide prevention, and involuntary treatment programs.March 10, 20267 min read
newstreatmentmatNYC's Largest Hospital System Just Released Its Year-Two Addiction Treatment Report. Here's What Changed.The city's public hospital system expanded street outreach, emergency-based addiction treatment, and contingency management programs as part of its three-year Behavioral Health Blueprint.March 5, 20268 min read
newstreatmentpolicyNYC's Largest Hospital System Will Pay Patients to Stay in Addiction TreatmentThe city's public hospital system is rolling out a new approach to addiction treatment that pays patients small rewards for hitting recovery goals—starting with people involuntarily removed from the streets under controversial mental health laws.March 4, 20268 min read
opioidfentanyloverdoseFederal Lab Develops New Drug That Could Cut Fentanyl Overdose Recovery Time in HalfLawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers have developed subetadex, a new compound that cuts fentanyl overdose recovery time from 35 to 17 minutes and remains active in the body for 7.5 hours — compared to Narcan's 30-80 minutes.March 3, 20268 min read
newspolicynaloxoneNew York Workplaces Will Be Required to Stock Overdose Medication by Next YearStarting December 2026, New York employers required to maintain first aid supplies must stock naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses. The new law signed by Governor Hochul aims to combat a crisis that claimed over 4,500 lives in 2024.February 27, 20265 min read
newspolicynaloxoneNew York Law Will Require Naloxone in Workplace First Aid Kits by DecemberThousands of New York employers will need to add naloxone to workplace first aid kits under a law signed February 13. The requirement takes effect December 13, 2026, covering any private business already required by federal rules to maintain first aid supplies.February 26, 20263 min read
newsrecoveryfundingNew York Invests $42.9 Million in Job Training for People in Addiction RecoveryEvery region of New York will get dedicated vocational counselors to help people in recovery find stable work. The five-year initiative targets one of the biggest barriers to lasting recovery: unemployment.February 24, 20264 min read
policyfederaltreatmentNew Federal Rules for Addiction Treatment Records Just Took Effect. Here's What Patients in New York Should Know.For decades, addiction treatment records were governed by some of the strictest privacy rules in American healthcare. On February 16, federal enforcement of sweeping updates to those rules officially began. What changed, what stayed the same, and what it means for New Yorkers seeking help.February 19, 20266 min read
