St. Lawrence County’s three state senators are among those who have put forward a package of 25 pieces of proposed legislation that they hope will address a growing drug problem in the state.

The Senate has issued a report that summarizes findings from statewide forums on drug addiction, treatment and crime hosted by the state Senate Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction.

The Senate hopes to address the legislation before it recesses for the summer

Sen. Joseph Griffo (R-Rome) and his colleagues Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury, and Sen. Patty Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, all of whom represent parts of St. Lawrence County, announced the release of the report, which includes 25 pieces

“Our task force has put together a comprehensive package that addresses many of the problems I heard about from addiction treatment and law enforcement experts during the forum I hosted,” said Griffo, who chaired a forum in Utica in April.

Griffo said he and his colleagues believe they have package of bills that can make a difference.

“These bills would stop addiction before it starts by better educating the public, especially teenagers, about the risks of heroin; preventing overdoses by arming people with naloxone; making the treatment more affordable and available when needed; and helping us get tough on dealers and traffickers,”he said. “We’ve had great success in curbing prescription abuse through the I-STOP program. It’s my hope that this legislation will stem the flow of heroin and other opioids through the Empire State.”

Griffo represents the state’s 47th Senate District, which includes the towns of Massena, Brasher, Norfolk, Stockholm, Potsdam, Pierrepont, Russell, Clifton, Fine, and Pitcairn in St. Lawrence County, plus Lewis and Oneida counties. Ritchie’s 48th District is in northern St. Lawrence County including Ogdensburg, Canton, Gouverneur, Oswegatchie, Waddington, Lisbon, Madrid, Louisville, DeKalb, DePeyster, Hermon, Edwards, Fowler, Rossie, Macomb, Morristown, and Hammond, plus Jefferson and Oswego counties. Sen. Little represents Parishville, Clare, Colton, Hopkinton and Piercefield in St. Lawrence County, plus to the east, Franklin, Clinton, Essex, Warren and Washington counties, making up the 45th Senate District.

Task force members held 18 forums statewide. Parents told harrowing stories about loved ones addicted to opioids and the difficulty in receiving critical treatment, a statement on the report from Griffo’s office said.

Law enforcement officials testified at the forums that they needed stronger tools to prevent criminals from putting more deadly drugs on the streets. Treatment and medical professionals urged lawmakers to treat opioid addiction as a disease, and to make treatment more readily and widely available. Prevention groups and educators focused on eliminating the stigma associated with addiction and supported the creation of more programs to inform the public about the dangers of substance abuse. Recovering addicts advocated for more treatment options, more beds, and more recovery time.

While the forums have ended and the report released, Griffo said he intends to continue with outreach and education initiatives, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

The full task force report can be seen at http://www.nysenate.gov/joint-senate-task-force-heroin-and-opioid-addiction-legislative-report.