New Polling Shows Bipartisan Support Across New York State for Expanding Access to Substance Use Treatment and Harm Reduction Services and Other Strategies that Prioritize Care[...]

New York, NY - As New York, like the rest of the nation, continues to grapple with enormous rates of fatal overdose, new polling commissioned by the Legal Action Center (LAC) highlights a clear call from New Yorkers of all political affiliations, ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds for policies prioritizing treatment and care over punitive measures.

Key findings from the polling underscore the urgency of the situation:

• An astounding 97% of New Yorkers recognize substance use disorder as a significant problem, with 80% agreeing it should be treated as a health issue rather than a criminal one.

• Nearly two-thirds (62%) of New Yorkers personally know someone affected by substance use, highlighting the widespread impact of this crisis across political lines and geographic regions.

The polling also revealed robust support for candidates that support specific policy proposals aimed at expanding access to treatment and harm reduction services and eliminating SUD-based discrimination and other barriers to care, including:

• 85% of New Yorkers favor candidates who support making SUD treatment readily available and affordable to all who need it, including 83% of Republicans, 91% of Democrats, and 78% of Independents.

• 77% of New Yorkers favor candidates who support increasing the number of facilities providing services to prevent overdose, including 73% of Republicans, 85% of Democrats, and 70% of Independents.

• 78% of New Yorkers favor candidates who support using opioid settlement funds solely for substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services, including 71% of Republicans, 85% of Democrats, and 74% of Independents.

• 80% of New Yorkers favor candidates who support enforcing parity in health insurance coverage of SUD care, including 73% of Republicans, 88% of Democrats, and 74% of Independents, and though parity does not currently apply to Medicare, 83% favor candidates who support ensuring Medicare beneficiaries have access to comprehensive, affordable SUD care, including 75% of Republicans, 90% of Democrats, and 79% of Independents.

• 79% of New Yorkers favor candidates who support ensuring that people who take medication for opioid use disorder are not discriminated against when seeking health care, including 77% of Republicans, 84% of Democrats, and 74% of Independents.

• 78% of New Yorkers favor candidates who support protecting confidentiality of people's SUD treatment records to prevent discrimination, including 71% of Republicans, 85% of Democrats, and 74% of Independents.

"Our polling demonstrates a strong, collective desire for health-first solutions to tackle substance use and save lives in New York," says Paul N. Samuels, LAC's Director and President.

Christine Khaikin, LAC Sr. Health Policy Attorney adds, "The message to leadership is clear: prioritize comprehensive, evidence-based services to meet the needs of families and communities in all parts of the state. New Yorkers want to be able to access and afford lifesaving care where they live. We look forward to working with policymakers to make this a reality and reduce the and other barriers to care that far too many New Yorkers continue to face."

To learn more, you can view this slide deck distilling the polling results and/or refer to this factsheet complete with minimal opposition figures as well as demographic breakdowns in support. 

The online statewide survey of 1,000 respondents was conducted by Prime Group and fielded June 13 - 28, 2024. The credibility interval for the sample is +/- 3.1 percentage points.     

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Media Contact:
Arianne Keegan 
Director of Communications, Legal Action Center 
[email protected]
(212) 243-1313   

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