Issue Position: Fighting Prescription Drug Abuse, Keeping Unsafe Drugs off Our Shelves

Issue Position

* Ensure patients have access to critical information about the dangers of prescription drug addiction
* Provide law enforcement with the tools they need to crack down on drugged-driving
* Keep unsafe designer drugs off the shelves and out of the hands of Western New York's children

Tim is focused on initiatives to combat the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse and keep unsafe designer drugs off shelves and out of the hands of Western New York's children.

One person dies every 19 minutes from prescription drug abuse in the United States. The wrath of this epidemic has been felt locally in Western New York and throughout the state and nation. Tim is working with Avi and Julie Israel, the parents of Michael David Israel, a young New Yorker who took his life after his battle with prescription drug addiction, to develop a comprehensive solution to this growing problem. He believes that the pain and suffering caused by addiction to prescription drugs needs to end.

Tim instituted a series of measures to ensure patients have access to critical information about the dangers of addiction and resources available if they need help. He sponsored legislation requiring the Department of Health to design guidelines to encourage non-addictive methods of pain management. Tim worked with Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to implement a real-time controlled substance registry to crack down on doctor shopping and pill mills.

In 2009, 10.5 million people in the United States admitted to driving under the influence of drugs. In addition to Tim's work to combat prescription drug abuse, Tim is working with law enforcement to encourage the development of procedures that combat drugged-driving -- keeping unsafe drivers off our streets.

In response to the explosion of dangerous synthetic cannabinoids, bath salts and other designer drugs in the U.S. market, Tim sponsored legislation to make the sale of these chemically engineered products illegal, removing them from shelves throughout Western New York.

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