On This Page
- County Statistics
- NYSDOH Opioid Dashboard
- Opioid Quarterly Reports, NYSDOH
- Monthly 911 Calls for Overdose/ Poisoning
- Drug-related Deaths (Tompkins County Medical Examiner)
- Fentanyl: Cautions and local services
- Resources
- Videos
Statistics
[This section last reviewed May 5, 2023]
NYS Opioid Data Dashboard:
Opioid Quarterly Reports, NYS Counties
These reports include “Opioid overdoses and rates per 100,000 population,” and “Unique clients admitted to OASAS-certified chemical dependence treatment programs.”
- Tompkins County pages only (Report date is the NYSDOH publication date. PDF):
- Full 62-County Quarterly Report
- Archived New York State County Opioid Quarterly Reports (links to PDF reports and data files in Excel)
More information & resources: NYSDOH Opioid Data & Reports
Calls to 911 for Overdose Emergency
All calls that come into Tompkins County's 9-1-1 center are coded based on the type of the emergency. The code (called a Nature Code) informs the dispatcher on whether to assign the emergency to police, fire, or EMS.
When the 9-1-1 dispatcher receives a call for medical assistance, they will ask the caller certain key questions to ascertain if the cause might be drug induced based on protocols established by the department’s emergency medical dispatch program. Sometimes the cause is known by the caller, and other times the dispatcher makes the coding decision based on answers to their questions and other circumstances, and years of experience.
The data used in this graph are total number of calls per month that are coded as "Overdose/Poisoning."
Data source: TC Department of Emergency Response (DoER).
Drug Related Deaths
Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic substance that is added into illicit street drugs to increase consumption. It is also highly associated with risk of overdose death. The Tompkins County Health Department has issued a Health Alert warning of the high risk of the presence of Fentanyl locally in street drugs.
- Harmful side effects include
- sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression.
- sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression.
- Signs of overdose include
- stupor, changes in pupillary size (pinpoint size pupils), cold and clammy skin, cyanosis (blue discoloration of the skin), coma and respiratory failure leading to death.
- stupor, changes in pupillary size (pinpoint size pupils), cold and clammy skin, cyanosis (blue discoloration of the skin), coma and respiratory failure leading to death.
- Overdose prevention strategies
- Never use alone
- Use fentanyl testing strips as a precaution
- Carry Narcan and be trained in its use
- Seek treatment and support
Local services and support
- Alcohol and Drug Council offers a variety of education programs, counseling services and treatment options, including Medication Assisted Treatment.
- Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services offers intensive residential and out-patient treatment services, including Medication Assisted Treatment.
- REACH Medical provides medical and behavioral services, including Medication Assisted Treatment.
- Community-based support groups are available for individuals to help navigate your personal recovery, as well as for friends and families affected by their loved one’s substance use.
- Fentanyl testing strips are available at the Southern Tier AIDS Program, REACH Medical, and at Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services.
Free Narcan training
- Narcan is a tool that community members can be trained to use to prevent an overdose from becoming a death.
- Schedule a Narcan training or request kits by contacting the
Need help finding help? Contact 2-1-1 (1.877.211.8667) for supportive referrals.
Resources
Emergency
- Call 911 immediately if you or someone you know is having a medical emergency.
- Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service, Crisis Line, 9-8-8, offers free and confidential crisis counseling, available 24/7.
Prevention
- Alcohol & Drug Council of Tompkins County is a non-profit agency which provides information, education, counseling and referral services for area residents and organizations. Home page, 607-274-6288
- Opioid Overdose Prevention Training (Narcan), 607-274-6288. The Council is approved to provide this training and to dispense Naloxone to non-medical persons. Naloxone is a prescription medicine that reverses an overdose by blocking heroin (or other opioids) in the brain for 30 to 90 minutes.
- Sharps Collection and Disposal Sites in Tompkins County
- Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP): provides comprehensive HIV/AIDS services in the Southern Tier of NY. They provide the Opioid Overdose Prevention Program, which provides individuals with training, a Naloxone kit, and a prescription to be able to carry and dispense this potentially life-saving medication.
- Mental Health Association in Tompkins County, home page, was established in 1954, to address mental health needs in the Ithaca community.
- The Jenkins Center for Hope and Recovery is a drop-in center for those who use or have used mental health services. The Jenkins Center provides a safe environment where mental health consumers can relax, have fun with peers, and share information and support.
- The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports hosts “Project COPE”, a website which promotes overdose prevention and harm reduction education in New York State. The goal of this initiative is to empower people to learn how to prevent overdoses and save lives in their community.
- Additional resources for prevention services: NYS AIDS Institute Provider Directory
Treatment
- Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services (CARS) Home page, 607-273-5500. CARS offers Open Access Monday thru Thursday from 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Clients need only to bring an insurance card, if they have one.
- Alcohol & Drug Council of Tompkins County is a non-profit agency which provides information, education, counseling and referral services for area residents and organizations. Home page, 607-274-6288
- The REACH Project, 607-273-7000. A non-profit operating as a low threshold, harm reduction medical practice in Ithaca. Reach Medical offers a wide range of services including: opioid replacement therapy, medical cannabis certification, Hep C treatment, primary care and behavioral services, in a stigma-free, inclusive setting.
- REACH Project Facebook page.
- NYS Office of Addiction Services & Support (OASAS): Treatment Finder
Recovery
- Ithaca Community Recovery, A non-profit organization that provides a meeting and activity space for Ithaca’s recovering community. They host a variety of meetings, including Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon Meetings, Narcotics Anonymous, and more. See their website for schedules.
- Mental Health Association in Tompkins County, home page, was established in 1954, to address mental health needs in the Ithaca community.
- The Jenkins Center for Hope and Recovery is a drop-in center for those who use or have used mental health services. The Jenkins Center provides a safe environment where mental health consumers can relax, have fun with peers, and share information and support.
Suicide Prevention
- Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service, offers free and confidential crisis counseling. The Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 9-8-8.
- The Sophie Fund, Inc., a nonprofit charitable corporation established in 2017 to support mental health initiatives aiding young people in greater Ithaca and Tompkins County. It supports programs and projects; raises awareness and fights the stigma around mental illness and treatment; advances a “zero suicide” ethos in the community; and serves as a community advocate for young people struggling with mental illness.
National
- SAMHSA National Helpline FindTreatment.SAMHSA.gov/, 1-800-662-4357 (HELP). The Helpline provides free and confidential information in English and Spanish for individuals and family members facing substance abuse and mental health issues. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The website also has a location finder for the nearest treatment services based on the zip code entered.
- SAMHSA Resources for Families Coping with Mental and Substance Use Disorders
Videos
<< NOTE: If the video does not display properly, click on the title link below the video screen to view it on the video site. >>
Safe Injection Facility presentation to TC HHS Committee- 10/16/2017 from Tompkins County Government on Vimeo.
Health and Human Services - 12/18/2017 - complete from Tompkins County Government on Vimeo.
Opioid Epidemic - 1/4/2018 from Tompkins County Government on Vimeo.
The Caring Community: Ithaca and the Movement for Supervised Injection Facilities
The Caring Community is a short documentary film that tells Ithaca’s story through the words of people who use drugs, elected and law enforcement officials, and healthcare providers. The Caring Community was made by Taeko Frost and Matt Curtis through the nonprofit Sawbuck Films group with generous support from the Henry van Ameringen Foundation and the Drug Policy Alliance. View it below or on YouTube.
The Caring Community: Ithaca and the Movement for Supervised Injection Facilities
