14-02-2025
New initiative aims to combat NYC's ‘hub of heroin'
THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — It is a daily occurrence in a neighborhood with the dubious distinction of being New York City's 'hub of heroin.'
It's a bustling, sometimes dangerous, often downtrodden section of the South Bronx, where the ravages of addiction are on display on a daily basis.
More Local News
Marty Rogers, a longtime South Bronx resident and community advocate, routinely spends his days filling up his trusty blue bucket with used drug needles.
Dirty needles, plastic forks, and pencils are all littered into the same piles along the sidewalk. Each has its own purpose, but all of them drive home the same sobering point that something desperately needs to be done about the crisis.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, community leaders, and members of the addiction treatment community gathered Thursday to announce a new multi-organizational initiative that includes $600,000 in state funds to begin Narcan training sessions across the borough available to the public to combat opioid overdoses.
More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State
'This initiative is about informing, investing and intervening. It's about making sure that we have the resources, the programs, the wraparound services, and also talk about policies that are in place to support our residents,' said Gibson.
Steven Hernandez of St. Ann's Corner of Harm Reduction, added, 'Low-threshold medical services, mental health care, case management, holistic care, are just some of the few services that when scaled up in the hub could make a huge difference, and at the end of the day, save lives.'
Heroin addiction in the hub in the South Bronx certainly isn't a new problem. PIX11 News has been talking about addiction issues in the neighborhood for years, and it's unclear if throwing more money at it is going to solve it.
'They put you in the street — back to the street, to get you again. You know, like business. They see you like business,' said Joelle.
Joelle said he is addicted to both heroin and fentanyl and questions whether the existing outpatient treatment model is working.
'I need residential. Residential. I need to stay. Forget this place,' said Joelle.
That's easier said than done. Because with temptation lurking at every turn, forgetting 'The Hub' for so many addicts is not a realistic option, especially when all you can think about is chasing the next high.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
