Graduate Students from Columbia University have been on a fact finding mission for the last nine months, researching the scope Staten Island's opioid Epidemic. 

 

They revealed their report to the Borough's Substance Abuse Task Force, at Borough Hall, highlighting their top findings. 

 

"Where overdoses are occurring, who lives there and the treatments available to them, " said Raoul Bhatia, one of six co-authors who's research discovered that mid-island had the highest number of overdose incidents per capita with the least amount of treatment options. 

 

“People may want to seek treatment, but if they're not available nearby, that's a risk,” said Bhatia.

 

They also discovered the age group of drug users in the Borough was older than they previously expected. 

 

There was a perception it was only affecting young individuals and as it came out it was discovered the median age of who it was affecting  was 37,” said Tricia Wendt, a co-author of the report.

 

The District Attorney says the Borough is on pace to match last year’s record of 116 deaths, so far this year 67 people have fatally overdosed. But 130 people have been saved by Narcan.

To save more lives, the reports top recommendation, is improving after-care.

 

“We realized that people are being thrown into treatment facilities. They get their treatment but after treatment they're thrown back into the quote unquote  wilderness," said co-author of the report, Monyuck Yu.

 

That's why officials say the next step, is helping recovering addicts find social groups outside of treatment programs, to support their sobriety. 

 

“For example recreational activities, whether it be athletic organizations softball leagues, baseball leagues that kind of thing,” said Bridget Brenna, the Cities Special Narcotics Prosecutor. She along with top officials say they'll  continue to work with this latest generation of researchers, to fight the Borough's War on Drugs.