Orange Co. Leaders Call on NYS To Change Law on Fentanyl

Brock Haney loved the yearly canoe trips in the Adirondacks with his family. 

“He was very active, good in sports, a great singer, [and] he actually tried out for American Idol in Philadelphia. He played the guitar, he sang, so he was kind of an all-American kid,” said Mt. Hope resident and Brock’s father, Michael Haney.  

Michael believes a trauma early in life caused him to self-medicate. At 25, Brock died of an opiods overdose, which also contained fetanyl. 

“It starts here, it starts locally. It starts with those coalitions, it starts with those legislators, it starts with everyone in the room,” said Orange County Legislator Rob Sassi.  

Orange County legislators passed a resolution, calling on the state to change public health law when it comes to what is considered a controlled substance.  

“The issue is those out there selling drugs that are killing people, are changing the chemistry on fentanyl just a little bit so it’s no longer listed in the pbulic health law, and they’re ahead of us,” said Orange County District Attorney’s Office Counsel Robert Conflitti.  

Fentanyl is listed, but local leaders are calling for a change to “fentanyl-related substances,” so drugs with a similar effect can be regulated and dealers can be prosecuted. 

“Why not? What can it hurt? If there’s an illegal substance that’s on the streets killing our kids, no matter what form it’s in, why wouldn’t we want to legislate some kind of a law to say hey that’s illegal, and if you’re going to sell to our youth, we’re going to arrest you,” Michael said.