By: Kristin F. Dalton | kdalton@siadvance.com
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The city’s fentanyl harm reduction public safety campaign struck a chord with a Staten Island politician who believes them to be a significant error of judgement.
Some of New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) subways and ad spaces feature advertisements with information about what fentanyl is, why it’s dangerous, how to safely consume the deadly and illegal substance.
Taking turns while using drugs, avoiding solo use, having naloxone on hand, and starting with a small dose before increasing the amount of drugs being used are all listed on the advertisement as ways to prevent an overdose.
The advertisement features a woman, along with a quote that says, “Don’t be ashamed you are using, be empowered that you are using safely.” It also has information on what fentanyl is and why it’s dangerous.
Councilman Joe Borelli (R-South Shore) said it’s hard to see how this type of messaging is helpful to subway riders, many of whom are school-aged children, even though there are people who believe this kind of harm reduction approach is beneficial.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1530000479937351681&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.silive.com%2Fnews%2F2022%2F05%2Fit-is-hard-to-see-how-this-type-of-messaging-is-helpful-says-borelli-about-nyc-fentanyl-campaign.html&sessionId=1a0854a0f99dbd36b47df77e0c3636df44b6852d&siteScreenName=SIAdvance&theme=light&widgetsVersion=1bfeb5c3714e8%3A1661975971032&width=550pxhttps://ae7cd4d211e68bbe74b4f94898a94a46.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Borelli penned a letter to the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber expressing his thoughts and asking the agency to reconsider the campaign that was designed by the city Health Department.
“These images feature a number of controversial statements regarding drug use, most notably, the idea that the use of hard drugs, which they list as ‘heroin, cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, ketamine, and pressed pills,’ somehow makes those suffering with addiction ‘empowered,’” Borelli said in the letter.
“While I recognize that some believe this type of harm reduction is beneficial, it is hard to see how this type of messaging is helpful to riders, including nearly 60,000 school students,” he continued. “The sign actually encourages ‘safe’ use of drugs that have ended millions of lives, destroyed families, and damaged children. I hope you reconsider this dangerous and backwards messaging.”
MTA Communications Director Tim Minton told the Advance/SILive.com, “This ad appears to meet guidelines for placement in transit, but we understand the concern. We will work with the City’s Department of Health to review language on any future messaging for the subways.”
Borelli said he didn’t send a letter to the Department of Health, the agency that designed and approved the public safety campaign advertisements.
“Our health commissioner is the only health commissioner still masking toddlers out of danger, but he is certain folks should ‘start small’ and ‘take turns’ with heroin,” Borelli told the Advance/SILive.com. “What could go wrong? He should turn some other cities into downtown eastside, not ours.”
Patrick Gallahue, Department of Health spokesman, told the Advance/SILive.com that shame pushes people underground and drives people who are at an even greater risk away from services.
“And shame is life-threatening. We want to fight shame. We want people to live,” Gallahue said.
The ads Borelli is referring to are part of the Department of Health’s “Let’s Talk Fentanyl” campaign that originally launched in December 2021; it was launched a second time on May 9 with a broader distribution.