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
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
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
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
fundingoasasauditState Pulls $5 Million in Funding From Lockport Recovery Group After 15-Year RunA Western New York addiction services provider that answered 55,000 calls a year has shut its doors after state auditors found its founder gave himself a $25,000 raise and a $40,000 loan without board approval.March 6, 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
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
deep-diveopioidsettlementWhere Are New York's Opioid Settlement Millions Going? Watchdogs Say the State Won't Tell ThemDrug policy experts and advisory board members say OASAS is stonewalling transparency efforts around $1.5 billion in opioid settlement funds, refusing to disclose basic information required by law.February 23, 20269 min read
treatmentresidentialnew-yorkLong Island Gets New York's First Residential Addiction Program Built Specifically for Young AdultsNew York has hundreds of residential treatment programs, but until now, none were built around the specific needs of young adults. A new facility in Brentwood is trying to change that — and the gap it's filling says something about how the state thinks about addiction in people under 25.February 18, 20266 min read
overdoseopioidfentanylNew York Just Recorded Its Lowest Overdose Death Toll Since Before COVID. Here's What Changed.For two consecutive years, New York has posted dramatic declines in overdose deaths. An estimated 4,567 people died in 2024, compared to 6,688 in 2023 — a drop the state hasn't seen since before the pandemic. Here's what drove it, who's still being left behind, and why 2026 will test how durable these gains really are.February 18, 20267 min read
