Addiction & Recovery News

Breaking developments in drug policy, overdose prevention, and addiction treatment in New York.

Kennedy Announces $100M Federal Plan to Link Homeless Americans to Addiction Treatment

The Trump administration's first major addiction policy move pairs $100 million in new federal funding with a sharp break from harm reduction — a combination that has addiction medicine providers watching closely.

February 18, 20263 min read

treatment residential new-york

Long Island Gets New York's First Residential Addiction Program Built Specifically for Young Adults

New 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

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New 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

policy funding alcohol

New York Bill Would Make Alcohol Sales Fund Addiction Treatment Statewide

Bronx Senator Nathalia Fernandez is pushing three bills that would create the first dedicated alcohol tax revenue stream for addiction services in New York — at a moment when the state has never made drinking easier to access.

February 17, 20265 min read

opioid funding new-york

Rochester Just Got a New Opioid Clinic. Here's Where New York's Settlement Billions Are Going.

New York has distributed more opioid settlement money than any other state. A new clinic in Rochester shows what that looks like on the ground — and a transparency controversy shows what it doesn't.

February 17, 20268 min read

funding federal samhsa

SAMHSA Sends $794 Million in Block Grants to States for Mental Health and Addiction

The federal government sent nearly $800 million to states and territories for addiction treatment and mental health services — the largest single block grant distribution of the year, covering everything from community clinics to substance abuse prevention.

February 17, 20263 min read