The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Candidates discuss opioid crisis at McCall Center
TORRINGTON — Independent gubernatorial candidate Oz Griebel and running mate Monte Frank recently visited the McCall Center For Behavioral Health to discuss the opioid crisis and present their a comprehensive plan for improving the state’s response to the opioid crisis, according to a news release.
The plan includes the formation of a task force comprised of state agency leaders, first responders, municipal officials and private providers; the expansion of data sharing between state agencies and clinical, administrative and research databases; and making Narcan available over the counter without a prescription to make it more widely available, according to the release.
“The opioid epidemic in Connecticut represents a public health crisis which impacts every segment of our State’s population,” Griebel said. “Opioids do not discriminate based on race, religion or age and we must attack this crisis in a comprehensive and sustained way.”
Griebel said he and Monte have met with private treatment providers around the state over the past months to gain their perspectives and recommendations in developing a statewide approach.
“As Oz and I have travelled around the state, we have heard from people devastated by the loss of a family member or friend from a fatal opioid overdose,” Monte Frank said. “This issue impacts every community and we must work collaboratively to break down silos to reduce the unacceptable levels of opioid addiction and overdose fatalities.”
If elected, Griebel said Monte will chair the new statewide task force to ensure that it has a primary focus in the Governor’s Office. As past president of the Connecticut Bar Association, Monte founded its Opioid Task Force which includes judges, private and public attorneys, non-profit leaders, members of the General Assembly, and representatives from hospitals and treatment facilities.